


Finding Closure

by RoczaDeb



Series: NCIS and Jon O'Neill [2]
Category: NCIS, Stargate Atlantis, Stargate SG-1
Genre: Character Death, Gen, Mild Language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-25
Updated: 2020-04-25
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:34:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 38,812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23835472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoczaDeb/pseuds/RoczaDeb
Summary: Lt Ford has been missing for over a year. No one will tell the family anything beyond 'Missing In Action-Presumed Dead' and 'I'm sorry.' President Hayes intervenes and instigates a special investigation into the Lieutenant's status. Sequel to 'Lost Soul'
Series: NCIS and Jon O'Neill [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1717840
Comments: 10
Kudos: 106





	Finding Closure

**Author's Note:**

> Finding Closure
> 
> By Rocza
> 
> Sequel Information: Lost Soul
> 
> Season: SG-1 Season 10, SGA Season 3, NCIS Season 3
> 
> Spoilers: SG-1- 0103 The Enemy Within, 0105 The Broca Divide, 0310 Forever In A Day, 0703 Fragile Balance, 1003 The Pegasus Project, SGA- 117 Letters from Pegasus, 201 The Siege part 3, 202 The Intruder, 207 Instinct, 210 The Lost Boys, 211 The Hive, 212 Critical Mass, 218 Michael, 302 Misbegotten
> 
> Categories: Crossover, AU
> 
> Crossover: Stargate Atlantis, NCIS
> 
> Content Level: PG-13
> 
> Content Warning: Language, Character Death
> 
> Summary: Lt Ford has been missing for over a year. No one will tell the family anything beyond 'Missing In Action-Presumed Dead' and 'I'm sorry.' President Hayes intervenes and instigates a special investigation into the Lieutenant's status.
> 
> Archive Permissions: Any who want it are welcome. Just give me credit. The story is the property of the author and may not be posted without the author's consent.
> 
> Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and Atlantis and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, Gekko Productions; not me. NCIS and its characters are the property of Belisarius Productions, again not me. This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money exchanged hands. No copyright infringement intended.
> 
> Author's Notes: This story follows my other story Lost Soul but can stand alone if you haven't read it yet. I like the idea that the NCIS and Stargate Universes are the same.
> 
> Special Thanks: The Stargate Solutions Website () without which I couldn't have compiled Ford's History.
> 
> A/N: First, this whole story is from the POV of the NCIS team. They are looking and evaluating every action and emotion. That is their job. Cops don't see people the same way civilians do. Their job is to look for criminals. After awhile all they see is criminals. It flavors all their perceptions.
> 
> Second, this story is specifically dealing with their grief. There are 5 stages to grief and loss: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance. Most of the Atlantis team has reached the acceptance stage. Talking about Lt Ford is painful, but possible. But LtCol Sheppard is still stuck in denial and anger. He blames himself and refuses to give up that last bit of hope. We are not meant to see them at their best. It wouldn't be an angst story if they were perky.
> 
> Finally, Jon isn't doing anything with the Atlantis computers that Sheppard and the rest of the Atlantis team couldn't do. The Atlantis team just hasn't had the time to play with the computers in between jumping from crisis to crisis while Jon does. Think about that one friend that you know who seems to know all the computer shortcuts while you struggle to figure out how to double space without hitting the return button twice. Jon is that annoying friend to the Atlantis team. It's not that they can't do it, they just have better things to do than play with the default font settings.

Chapter 1 – The Invitation

Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs stared at the envelope on his desk in silent confusion. It was an elegant invitation to the White House for lunch. That fact alone had stopped him in his tracks.  
It was well known that Gibbs didn't 'do' politics. He was pretty sure that the SecNav had banned him from all political functions on the basis of self-preservation, providing of course, that they could force him into attending. He was absolutely sure that Director Jenny Sheppard both appreciated his frankness and detested his lack of political savvy. In fact, she often ran interference for him when he was 'required' to attend a formal function. And after his attendance at the last conference ended with an arrest, well, most of the politically savvy elite were more than happy to let him stay home.

Yet, these basic facts didn't support the evidence in the form of one golden envelope with his name elegantly scrawled on it. Worse yet, he couldn't recall a single incident, good or bad, that would justify calling him onto the president's carpet. Hell, the only incident that even came close had happened under the last administration.

"Good Morning, Boss. I brought your favorite...coffee," Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo greeted, pausing as he took in the glare that Gibbs was sending to the envelope. While he was curious about the envelope, his well developed sense of self-preservation kept his mouth shut. No need to make himself the target of Gibbs' anger.

Gibbs continued to scowl at the envelope for several more minutes before he realized that he had been staring at it for far too long. He snatched the coffee from DiNozzo on his way up to the Director's office, pointedly ignoring his team as they exchanged worried glances. Hopefully, this didn't concern them. If he had anything to say about it, it wouldn't concern him either.

Gibbs stormed into the director's office, breezing past the secretary before she could open her mouth to speak. He tossed the envelope in front of Director Sheppard as she was perusing her email. He didn't bother elaborating. The invitation really did say it all. Jenny would understand the subtext.

Jenny cocked her head sideways as she took in his silent scowl, "And good morning to you too, Jethro."

"What the hell is that about?" Gibbs asked vaguely, while gesturing at the envelope.

Jenny picked up the envelope and pulled out the invitation. She carefully read the inscription, quirking an eyebrow as she took in the contents. She placed it back in the envelope and turned to look at Gibbs. "I don't know. I haven't heard anything on the grapevine about awards and I don't think you've done anything recently to piss off the President...Unless, there's something you'd like to tell me?"

"Not that I'm aware of," he replied, glaring out of her office window.

"I can make some calls..." Jenny offered.

Jethro nodded curtly in acceptance.

"Okay, I'll let you know as soon as I know anything," she stated handing him the envelope back and dismissing him.

Gibbs stomped out of the office, hoping something would interrupt his lunch date with the President. Anything would do…well, maybe not anything. There must be a cold case file somewhere that needed reinvestigating. The kind of investigation that had to be done today…at noon…

-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG

Chapter 2 – Lunch

After driving his team crazy throughout the morning with his foul mood, Gibbs received the phone call he had been impatiently waiting for. Unfortunately, Jenny didn't have good news. In fact, she didn't have any news. No one, not the FBI, CIA, NSA, Army, Navy, or Air Force intelligence agencies, absolutely no one, knew why the President himself had requested the lunch meeting. Apparently, Jenny's contacts didn't include President Hayes or his White House staffers.

So, with his time running out, Gibbs finally decided to bite the bullet and just go to the lunch meeting. After all, how bad could it be? He should be able to sit still and eat without throwing his career down the tubes. It's not like they would leave him alone with the President after all.

Gibbs gathered his badge, but left his gun, and quickly left the office, ignoring the relieved sighs from his team. His trip across town was free of the usual traffic problems. He was actually on the list for entry to the White House parking gate and was waved in far sooner than he expected. 

Finally, he was ushered into a small private dining area and told to wait. He quietly studied the room as he waited, noting that lunch was set for two. Okay, maybe they would leave him alone with the President if that's what the President wanted. Before long, the man himself, President Henry Hayes entered the room and firmly closed the door on one of his more persistent aides.

"Mr. President," Gibbs greeted formally as he stood at attention, old habits coming to the front.

President Hayes gave him a friendly politician's smile and quickly took his hand. "Special Agent Gibbs, please sit down," Hayes gestured to one of the nearby chairs. Gibbs reluctantly sat down.  
The President opened the dumb waiter and pulled out a tray with sandwiches. Gibbs jumped to help, but was waved away. "Please, they don't let me do anything as it is. Let me at least do this." 

Hayes quickly sorted out the meal and took a seat opposite of Gibbs, "Alright, now, I bet you're wondering why I asked you here. I have a job for you..." Hayes quickly raised his hand to stop Gibbs' protest, "I know you are happy where you are. I wouldn't dream of taking you away from NCIS."

Hayes' leaned back in his chair, "I've found that I am privy, as President, to a large amount of classified information. Information so Top Secret that I didn't even have clue about it…until my first day in this office. Since that day, I've been asked to make some hard decisions…decisions that have resulted in tragic consequences for some of our people." The President's eyes saddened and took on a far away look, "I've found that I don't much like making those decisions. But there is something I like even less…lying about the consequences of those decisions…to the surviving family members."

Gibbs held his tongue as Hayes lapsed into silence and quietly picked at his meal.

The President slowly focused back on Gibbs, "I absolutely cannot declassify this information, but these men and women deserve to know that their sacrifice wasn't in vain. That their loved one was lost or killed doing something important and not in a careless 'training accident'. I've given this a lot of thought and I think I've found a compromise between telling them the truth in all its classified glory and ensuring the security of that information. That is where you come in," Hayes said.

"Me, Sir?" Gibbs replied suspiciously.

"Yes, you, Agent Gibbs." The President leaned forward with his hands resting on the table. "NCIS was developed for both intelligence gathering and criminal investigations. The ACID and AFOSI, your counterparts, serve in almost the exact same capacity. As such, you and your agents already posses the skills needed to review the types of classified reports that spell out how one of our people was KIA, or worse, MIA during a classified mission. As it stands now, when the family of one of our fallen needs reassurance, they have no one to act on their behalf; No one to turn to; No one that they can trust to be objective about the facts, no matter how classified; No one to ensure that their loved one didn't die in vain." Hayes continued to lean forward, carefully watching Gibbs' face, trying to gage his reaction.

Gibbs sat back and crossed his arms, "What exactly is it you are asking of me, Mr. President?"

"I want you to be the first test case," Hayes said smoothly. "Usually, I have an organization that has clearance to oversee these types of classified projects and operations. However, they have proven to be politically motivated and incompetent at the best of times and treasonously corrupt during the worst. I need someone to be the voice of the dead. My sources say that you are one of the best. That you don't let politics or money deter you from finding justice. That you will find the truth, no matter how uncomfortable, and bring it to light."

Gibbs nodded, surprised at the description. He figured that the other agencies saw him more as a pain in the ass, a political liability, rather than a shining white knight. He let that image form and then dismissed it with a slight grin, "So, you have a case that you need investigated, Mr President?"

Hayes broke into his first genuine smile, "I do. One of our lost Marines has a very politically connected family. Just after I entered office, this Marine along with many others deployed to a classified location to protect an international cooperative of scientists. He was listed as MIA a year and a half ago. A year ago his status was changed to MIA-presumed dead based on new information. His family hasn't accepted the cover story and they have demanded action…"

Hayes turned serious and gave Gibbs a considering look, "I want you to talk to his family and reassure them that you will conduct an independent review of the case. See if they will accept your judgment without learning the classified details. Don't worry, I expect you to go over every detail from his owning unit. If this boy needs justice, I want you to find it for him… and for his family."

Gibbs considered the case. He carefully worded his reply, "Sir, are you sure you want me for this job? I won't lie to them or to you. If someone is responsible for his death and is trying to cover it up, I will prosecute, with or without your support."

Hayes again smiled genuinely, "Good. I expect you too. These people are doing a damn fine job. I don't expect any surprises. They were handpicked from around the world. If someone is responsible, I insist that they be taken out of the program."

"I'll need full access to all the classified details. I can't do a complete investigation without all the facts," Gibbs added, remembering the number of times the FBI and CIA had shorted his investigations by withholding vital information.

"You'll have it," Hayes said, his eyes lighting up as Gibbs accepted, "…and you will report directly to me," he added as an afterthought.

"And I'll need my team," Gibbs insisted. If he was in, he might as well go for broke.

"Unfortunately, I can't authorize that," Hayes said, holding up one hand in a placating gesture as Gibbs started to turn stubborn. "Only Ms. Abigail Sciuto has passed the initial security screening. Some of the others pose some security concerns," Hayes stopped him.

Gibbs narrowed his eyes, "I trust them with my life."

Hayes returned the steady gaze, "I don't doubt that they are trustworthy. Nor, under normal circumstances, that they can maintain confidentiality. But this case is far from normal. Israel is not a part of the alliance, automatically excluding Officer David. Agent McGee has a bad habit of sharing dirty details in his novels and Agent DiNozzo is a wild card most of the time. I'm sorry, but I can't take that kind risk. Nor can the other countries involved in this endeavor. Far more is at stake then the credibility of a few NCIS agents."

Gibbs quirked his eyebrow at the mention of other countries, and continued to try and stare down the President. He finally asked, "I'll be short handed with just Abby."

Hayes easily returned his gaze, but smiled as he replied, "I have someone in mind that will help you immensely. He is an expert on the program, its history and current reach, and can serve as your backup, if you need it. Plus he is an unknown outsider to this particular unit...well, he won't be recognized at any rate."

Gibbs prepared his standard protest when saddled with an unknown assistant, but Hayes stopped him dead, "Plus you have already met him."

Gibbs frowned, "Who?"

"Jon O'Neill…Of course, he'll have to use a different surname for this investigation. The O'Neill name carries a bit too much weight in the program."

O'Neill. Jon. Gibbs was swarmed by images from the hospital where the kid was being treated for a gun shot wound. The knowing looks that had passed between General O'Neill and the kid. Nephew? Son? He never did find out. But the kid was the General's family, of that Gibbs was certain.

"Sir? O'Neill's just a kid..." Gibbs started, trying to voice his reservations. The kid was far too young. He shouldn't have had a close brush with death so soon. Gibbs surely didn't want to add a missing person's case to the kid's list of nightmares.

"Oh, he's much, much more than that," Hayes interrupted. "Don't discount his experience because he looks young. His age is his cover. It also makes it more likely that everyone will underestimate him, including you. Use that to your advantage."

Gibbs was still unsure about adding the kid. He didn't know how dangerous the situation could get. He didn't want to take the kid into a potentially explosive situation. "I really don't think that's a good idea, Sir," he finally stated, trying to sound reasonable.

Hayes just grinned at him, "I know. Trust me. He'll do just fine." Hayes reached over and grabbed a folder from the side table. "Here is the public file on the missing Marine. You have 3 days before you're flight leaves. Jon O'Neill will coordinate your departure. Expect to be gone for least 3 weeks. It takes two weeks to travel there, plus however long you want to investigate. All the classified files will be made available on your departure. Unfortunately, I doubt any physical evidence still exists anymore, so, Ms. Sciuto won't have much to do until you reach your destination, and even then it won't be much."

"Then why am I bringing her, Sir?" Gibbs asked, frustrated.

"Because you trust her with the hard science. This project is staffed with the best and the brightest from around the world, but…YOU don't know them. So, I doubt that you would trust their findings. By taking Ms. Sciuto, you will have someone who can evaluate the data collected and advise you," the President replied smoothly.

"Mr. President, you sure seem to know a lot about me and my team. I would think that we would be beneath your level of notice," Gibbs said warily, his suspicious nature trying to determine why he and his team was under this kind of close scrutiny…Why he was being picked for this assignment…

President Hayes just smiled in response, "Normally, I would agree with you. But this project is special. This unit is special. The nature of their work is…beyond description. But it is also very dangerous."

Gibbs watched the regret that shadowed the President's face, "I had no idea when I took this office that there were men and women of such high caliber, like this young Marine, that were so willing to put themselves in harms way to protect the rest of us. And every day I pray that I can live up to their faith in me, as their Commander in Chief…That I will be able to honor their sacrifice and ensure that it isn't in vain…that I can live up to the very high standard they have set for me."

President Hayes met Gibbs' eyes and held them, "I have given your team this kind of close scrutiny because those men and women deserve the very best and I fully intend to give it to them. Of course," he continued with a soft grin, "it helps that General O'Neill recommended you. Without his endorsement, I doubt that your team would have even been in the running for this assignment. It's amazing how many important people you have managed to upset, Agent Gibbs."

"General O'Neill?" Gibbs asked, confused and suspicious. He recalled the strange Air Force general that had so easily pushed all of his buttons. But he didn't see how he earned the general's trust, if anything, it was the opposite. "And with his endorsement, Sir?"

"With it, you are given the keys to the kingdom…or the city in this case. You have carte blanche authority to run this investigation in any matter you see fit. General O'Neill and I will back you fully," President Hayes said with his smile once again in place.

"Sir," Gibbs replied, "That sounds too good to be true. Neither you, nor General O'Neill know me well enough to give me that kind of authority. Hell, I do know me and I wouldn't give myself that kind of authority. What's the catch, Sir?"

"No catch," the president said chuckling, "I'm sure that once you understand the scope of this investigation, you will understand my…flexibility in your authority. You won't be within range of easy contact…so it's easier to give you all the authority you may need up front. Your record speaks volumes and because of that record, I trust you, Agent Gibbs. "

Gibbs considered the case and its scope. It wasn't the kind of case you normally give a senior field agent. It had to be a political goose chase. Maybe he was being punished for something. Yeah, thanks a lot, General O'Neill. He sighed, resigned to his fate, "And where exactly are we going, Sir?" Gibbs asked, finding himself unable to say 'no' to the President.

Hayes gave him a big smile, "To the Lost City of Atlantis."

-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG

Chapter 3 – The Other Shoe

Gibbs just stared at him. What. The. Hell? He knew that this smelled funny. Either the President of the United States was nuts or someone was playing an elaborate joke on him. Gibbs tried to find the hidden joke, but the President was completely serious. Oh God, the President believed it.  
He was completely cracked. Do you humor him or report him to one of his handlers? What is the proper protocol for telling the most powerful man in the USA that he was crazy?

"Uh..." Gibbs started, trying to find a polite way to quickly make his escape.

But President Hayes just continued to smile at him and pulled out a cell phone, "Helen, tell Colonel Caldwell to send him down."

Gibbs tried to feign calm acceptance. Tried, but even his normal reserve was failing.

"Sir…there must be some kind of mistake," Gibbs said while backing away from President Hayes.

Hayes just chuckled at him, "Oh, I know what you must be thinking. But trust me. It is all true."

"What is true, Sir?" Gibbs asked calmly. Since the President didn't seem to be making any hostile moves, he was willing to let this play out. Maybe the President would give him something to report on his way out that wouldn't make Gibbs sound crazy.

President Hayes considered his answer, "It's kind of a long story and it sounds more than a bit…unbelievable. But, it is true and the amazing people involved in it are real, flesh and blood people." Hayes shook his head, "I don't tell it nearly as well as Dr Jackson, but here goes…In 1928, Professor Langford discovered an ancient alien artifact in Egypt. He brought it back to the US where the Army and eventually the Air Force funded research to discover what it did. In 1996, Dr Daniel Jackson finally solved the riddle and opened the Stargate and the first team was sent through to another planet. For the last 10 years, our country…our world has been sending teams out to explore this galaxy. They have made amazing discoveries, forged new allies, and…made new enemies."

The President paused trying to gage Gibbs' reaction. Gibbs was proud of the fact that he was able to maintain his mask. The President was starting to look a bit worried, but he still pressed on, "In 2000, we formed a special treaty with Russia and brought them into the Stargate Project. In 2002, we invited in China, France and Great Britain and renamed our treaty the Stargate Alliance. When the Atlantis Expedition was formed in 2004, the Stargate Alliance had expanded to 30 countries with various levels of involvement.

"O-kay..." Gibbs said as he gave him a wane, disbelieving smile.

"I know what you are thinking…Just imagine my reaction when they told me on my first day on the job," the President said trying to put Gibbs at ease, and failing.

Suddenly, a bright light enveloped a corner of the room. Gibbs turned in surprise as a man was revealed. No, Jon O'Neill. Gibbs stood shocked at the sight. Where the hell had he come from?

Gibbs turned to the President and was surprised at the relieved expression he had, "Jon, welcome and excellent timing," the President greeted loudly.

"Mr. President, it's a pleasure, as always. Nice to see you again, Agent Gibbs," Jon returned the greeting casually.

Gibbs turned to the President and gave him a pointed look, "Wh-what...what is going on here, Sir?"

"Jon O'Neill is here to show you that I'm not crazy and that everything I've told you is true. He is real and so is everything he will show you. Trust me…life would be much simpler if it was all still science fiction." Hayes turned to Jon, "Take good care of him, son."

"Don't worry, Sir. Carter's on the controls. He's in the best of hands," Jon quipped back.

Jon tossed Gibbs a watch. Gibbs deftly caught it and sent him a questioning look as he displayed his own watch, but Jon just smiled cryptically.

Jon pulled out a radio and simply stated, "Two to beam out."

Gibbs felt nothing as he was enveloped in white light. The light faded momentarily and he was left with the impression of a large room with a huge window. Outside the window, Gibbs could easily see Earth as if viewed from orbit. 

The light returned and when it faded once again, he was in his basement with his current project boat. The detail was perfect, right down to the dirty mug he had used the night before still perched on one of the support beams.

"Whoa!" he exclaimed before he had a chance to stifle the expression.

"Yeah," Jon replied casually, "Not how you expected to get home was it?"

Gibbs carefully eyed his basement and took in the half-finished shell of the skiff he was building, he was looking for discrepancies, anything to help him identify that this wasn't real, but finding nothing. What if it was real? How had he gotten here? Did he lose time? He glanced at his watch. Nope, only seconds had passed since was eating lunch with the President. Could the food have been drugged?

"What just happened?" he asked the O'Neill kid coolly. He was certain that the kid was in on it.

"We beamed from the White House to your basement," the kid was grinning at him. "Think Star Trek."

Gibbs eyed him skeptically, "That was fiction. That kind of device isn't real."

The kid just grinned wider, "You're right. This is way more accurate than the device portrayed in that show. That watch is a locator beacon. The ship in orbit can detect the signal and lock on your position…" Gibbs immediately tossed the watch onto his shop counter. The kid chuckled at his action before continuing, "…and beam you to any point within its sensor range…or in this case, specific coordinates."

Gibbs glared at the kid's as the information and its applications scrolled through his mind. The military applications alone were overwhelming. When his distrusting, suspicious side voiced its opinion on the potential criminal applications, he blanched. Holy hell, what have I gotten myself into?

He turned a paranoid eye back to the kid. This kind of technology was so black…so classified that merely knowing about it could get him killed. And somehow, eyeing the kid, he knew that it was just the tip of the iceberg. The President's words returned... '10 years…exploring the galaxy…amazing discoveries.' Damn…it could be true.

"Why are you showing me?" he finally stated in a gruff voice. He didn't like surprises and as far as surprises go, this was a huge one.

Jon continued to smile at him, "Because you need to believe. I can't show you what you really need to know until we leave…for security reasons. I need you to believe that it is real and I need you to be prepared to believe the unbelievable. This whole case hinges on it."

Gibbs felt some of his equilibrium return. The kid's argument actually made sense. The fact that it was missing a complex technical explanation just made it more believable. But he didn't want to believe, not quite yet. This was too big to swallow whole. "Everything has a reasonable explanation. Drugs, holograms, hell, I could be dreaming," he stated more to himself than his company.

"True. The question is will you understand the explanation? Or better yet, will you consider the explanation reasonable?" the kid replied, smugly.

Gibbs frowned at the kid. The kid was too carefree and unworried. Why? Has he done this before? Explained the impossible to others? "And that could be a problem?"

Jon laughed, "That is usually the problem. You've seen one piece of our classified technology…although seen is more of a euphemism than a fact…anyway, how would you reasonably explain it using existing earth-based technology?"

Gibbs took a deep breath and tried to formulate an answer, but technology just wasn't his strong point. Finally, he gave up and shook his head, "I can't."

"Ah, but I can find a scientist who can…I just wouldn't understand his explanation, and I seriously doubt you would have the patience to sit through the whole briefing…the tech geeks can go on for hours…literally," Jon said affectionately, reminding Gibbs of his own affection for a certain tech geek with a penchant for babbling on. His expression softened momentarily and he realized that his gut actually agreed with the kid. Heaven help him, but Gibbs was going to believe him.

"Okay," Gibbs stated suddenly, "I'll accept that, but why should I trust you? Hell, explain to me why I should take you along. I'm not keen on endangering kids in general. How do I know that I can depend on you for backup?"

Jon's smiled faded a bit, "I don't expect you to trust me…not like you trust your team. But I'm not a kid. I have more combat experience rattling around in my head than you do." Jon sighed and turned away briefly, "I'm one of those things that, when explained, sounds completely unbelievable."

"Try me," Gibbs retorted, what could possibly be more unbelievable than exploring the galaxy using alien artifacts?

"Alright, but don't say that I didn't warn you," Jon said as he carefully sat down on a nearby stool. "The short version is that I'm a clone of General O'Neill. I have all his memories up to about 3 years ago. Since then I have led a separate life."

Gibbs blinked and tried to absorb the short explanation. The kid was right, it did sound crazy. But the kid asked him to believe the unbelievable, so he reached for the information he did know on the kid. One fact glared at him. "That's why the fingerprints matched," he stated evenly. He clearly remembered trying to rein Abby in when she wanted to investigate the match more closely. She called it a scientific impossibility. Only the next case had distracted her from trying to explain why they matched.

"And if we had allowed you to run our DNA that would have been an exact match as well…" Jon elaborated, "…well, at least at your lab's current level of technology."

Gibbs was curious. Having established credible evidence for the impossibility, he was more open to finding out the whole story. He relaxed against the workbench, understanding now why Jon had picked this location for this talk. This was Gibbs' home turf and at some level he felt comfortable here. Yup, definitely going to have to watch this one closely. He made a vague continue gesture, "And what is the long version?"

Jon chuckled, "That's the version that makes me sound crazy." He gave Gibbs a wary glance before continuing, "Earth has several alien allies. One of these allies is very advanced…space ships, cloning, big honking space guns, the whole nine yards…They are fond of the general. They say he is advanced for a human and at one point in time thought that he might be the key to their genetic problems. As it turns out, they were wrong, but not before one of their rogue scientists kidnapped and cloned him."

"You?" Gibbs stated more than asked as he watched him closely.

"Yeah," Jon said with a sigh, "I was a defective clone…like all of the ones he created. I didn't mature properly." He gestured to his face, "I was put in Jack's place on Earth while the scientist completed his experiments." Jon held up a quick hand, "Obviously, the kidnapping didn't go unnoticed. I worked with Jack's team to capture the renegade and then we contacted our allies. They were kind enough to stabilize my DNA before I died. Since, then I've been helping out when I can and pretending to be a normal teenager the rest of the time."

Gibbs continued eyeing Jon, hoping to find a crack in his armor. Or better yet, hoping his gut would stop agreeing with the kid. He couldn't detect a lie. He couldn't even detect a part of the story that was left out, though he was sure there were plenty more details. No, his gut was saying that the kid was still telling the truth. His gut reaction was to trust the kid. Heaven help him.

Finally, Gibbs nodded to himself. "Fine. I'll take you along, but I didn't see anything in the general's file that suggested he had any experience in investigating criminal cases. That makes you just as ignorant. I expect you to act like any other probationary agent. You do what I say, when I say it. Got it?" he asked gruffly. This was his case and he would run it the way he saw fit. He needed to define the chain of command early so there was no confusion in the future.

"Yes, Sir," Jon replied smugly.

Gibbs nodded, "Then get us back to the White House. We'll take my car back to NCIS headquarters." Gibbs reached out and tentatively picked up the locator beacon, almost afraid of it, before he nodded.

Jon clicked his radio, "You still there, Carter?"

"And waiting," a sharp female voice replied.

"We're done. Send us back," Jon replied.

Instead of a reply, they were both enveloped in white light.

-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG

Chapter 4 – Meeting the Team

Jon followed Agent Gibbs into the building, taking in everything. The neat cubicles were packed into the bullpen area with all sorts of audio-visual equipment scattered about. It was a far cry from a windowless conference room under a mountain, but it was still closer to the action than he had been in years.

Sure, he still did the odd job at Jack's request, but it was different than being in the thick of things. His only consolation was that Jack was as far from the action as he was these days.  
When Jack had asked him to take on this assignment, he had been skeptical at first. After all, what did he know about investigating a missing Marine? Nothing. Nada. Zilch. Zip. But then Jack had pointed out that it was simply a matter of gathering intelligence and interpreting it, just on a smaller scale. Besides, no one should get left behind. If it was possible, Jon would bring Lt Ford home.

Jon had to admit that he was looking forward to it. He would even get to go to Atlantis before Jack, a fact that he had rubbed in his elder half's face. His recent years as an American teenager had been less than exciting. Of course, blending into the teenage angst hadn't stopped Ba'al from finding him. But it had given him a unique perspective on American culture.

"DiNozzo," Gibbs' voice rang out. "Gather everyone in the gym."

"Sure thing, Boss," Tony answered with a fake happy smile.

"O'Neill with me," Gibbs said as he stalked up the stairs to the director's office. Jon followed him smirking at the confused faces of the NCIS team.

"All right boys and girls, you heard the boss, gym time," Jon heard DiNozzo say just as he stepped into the director's office.

"Special Agent Gibbs," the secretary greeted them. "Director Sheppard said to go right in."  
Gibbs grimaced and walked past without saying a word. Jon shrugged and gave the secretary a cheeky grin, "Thank you, Ma'am." Jon followed Gibbs into the inner office.

"Jethro…Agent Gibbs," Jenny changed mid-sentence as she noticed the young man following Gibbs. "How was your lunch?" she asked politely.

"Interesting. I'll be leaving in 3 days for several weeks at the request of the President," Gibbs started carefully.

"What?" Jenny exclaimed. "He can't just…"

"Yes, actually, he can," Jon interrupted smoothly. "NCIS is a DoD organization that ultimately reports to the President. That means that he can, and has, redirected his assets." Jon pulled out a copy of the orders he had been carrying, "As of right now, Special Agent Gibbs and Ms. Sciuto are under the direct authority of the President."

Jenny's eyes narrowed as she focused on Jon. She snatched the orders from his hand, "And just who are you?" she asked with venom.

"Jon O'Neill. I'll be assuming a cover ID as a NCIS Probationary Agent and have been assigned to Special Agent Gibbs for the duration of this transfer," Jon said staring her down. He may look 18, but he was far older and wiser on the inside.

She glared at him before finally turning her glare on Gibbs, "Explain…now."

Gibbs sighed, "Abby and I are needed for a special, classified investigation. O'Neill…" he gestured to Jon, "…was cleared by the President because the rest of my team failed to get the necessary clearance. And before you ask, all I know is that I'll be gone for at last 3 weeks and I'll be out of contact the entire time."

She returned her glare to Jon, "I'm not in the habit of lending out my Senior Field Agents and Expert Forensic Technicians to young, inexperienced members of other unspecified governmental organizations…"

Jon's abrupt laugh stopped her rant, "Let me make it easy for you. I don't belong to any governmental organization. Call me…a civilian contractor. And you aren't lending Special Agent  
Gibbs to anyone. He is leading the investigation. I've been assigned to him, not the other way around." Jon's smile changed into a leer as he leaned suggestively on her desk and gave her an obvious once over, "And as for experience…well, let’s just say, I could show you a thing or two." He cheered silently as she backed off, uncomfortable.

"That's enough, O'Neill," Gibbs barked.

Jon's whole demeanor changed as he straightened, his eyes never leaving the director's, "Sure thing, Sir."

Jenny re-scanned the orders as an excuse to regain her composure, and then looked up at Gibbs and sighed, "Do you know how much I don't like this, Gibbs?"

Gibbs snorted, "I think I have an idea."

She glared at Jon once more, before turning back to Gibbs and silently asking a question. His lips quirked in a suppressed smile as he replied, "We'll be fine."

Her eyes narrowed and then relaxed, "Good. Then, I'll expect to see you back here as soon as your assignment is complete." She leaned back in her chair before turning a concerned look on Gibbs, "If you need anything, please let me know."

Gibbs smiled as he stood. "I will," he said smoothly as he walked out of the room without saying good-bye.

Jon smirked and gave the director a cocky salute, "Don't worry, Ma'am, I've got his back. We'll be home before you know it." Then he strode out after Gibbs.

-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG

"So," Ziva said quietly as she stretched on the big mat, "what do you think is going on?" The team had changed into their sweats and were currently waiting for Gibbs to arrive.

"I don't know. But Gibbs was upset about something this morning. I wonder where he went at noon?" Tim said self-consciously. He had passed all the physical tests to achieve his Agent status. But he was all too aware of how he wasn't the strongest or the fastest and group training sessions only seemed to illustrate that point. He was confident in his strengths, but this wasn't one of them.

"Yeah," Tony agreed, bouncing in place to loosen up, "Did either of you see that kid with him?"

"Kid?" Ziva asked, confused. "Why would Gibbs bring a kid here?"

"I saw him, but…I don't know…He looked familiar, but I don't think he's a kid. He just looks young," Tim said while starting his stretches.

"I know what you mean. He definitely has the baby face. But, I could swear that I've seen him before…I just can't remember where," Tony agreed, starting his own stretches as well.

Just then, Gibbs and the kid in question breezed into the gym. Gibbs hadn't bothered to change, but the kid in question was wearing a set of baggy sweats that were obviously too large for him. Ziva's eyes widened in surprise. She recognized the kid as the gunshot victim from only a few months before. "Isn't that…"

"Circle up," Gibbs interrupted as he walked to the center of the mat. He glanced around at his team and gave a stern glare. "This is Jon O'Neill. O'Neill, this is my team; DiNozzo, McGee, and David," he said as he pointed each of them out.

Ziva watched as Jon gave each of them a confident grin, "Howdy."

Gibbs turned back to Jon and gestured to the large mat, "You said that you can defend yourself…so prove it."

Jon stepped forward cautiously and he turned a wary look at Gibbs, "Are you sure about this...Sir?"

Gibbs returned his look, "I need to know what you can do, but…I want to keep them in one piece."

"Understood, Sir," Jon glanced around the room. He dismissed Tim and Tony almost immediately, before focusing on Ziva. Jon nodded at her and they squared up on the mat.

"Ah...rookie mistake, Probie," Tony said with a grin. He was looking forward to Ziva teaching the new guy a lesson in making assumptions based on size and sex.

Gibbs just nodded. The kid passed his first test by finding the most skilled fighter in the room and choosing them first. "Begin," he said, carefully watching the match.

Jon bowed to Ziva and then began to circle. Ziva probed his defenses and slowly gained a better understanding of his skill. She remembered the kid from the hospital and how easily he had overcome her. She wouldn't be caught by surprise again.

Suddenly, she struck with several lighting quick blows and a follow-up kick to his injured shoulder. Even with rehab it should be weaker and less defensible. John carefully blocked each blow and caught her foot surprising her before twisting and throwing her to the ground. Using her leg as leverage, he flipped her over and pinned her to the mat. He held the position for several seconds before releasing her and backing up.

"Whoa," Tony said in wonder, as Ziva jumped up angry at having been bested so quickly.

"Again," she said with barely concealed rage. His shoulder should not be strong enough to have pulled off that maneuver yet. Not so soon after being injured.

"As you wish," John said simply and began they began circling again.

Ziva attacked without waiting for an opening. She rained down blows on John with all her force and anger. But few if any connected. She continued to get angrier as John maintained his defensive posture and failed to return her hits.

She paused as she considered him through a red haze. He was watching her carefully, a bruise forming on his cheek where one of her fists had gotten through his defenses, but he still wore that damnable grin. "Fight, damn you," she swore before she attacked again, holding nothing back.

Jon's eyes narrowed in acceptance, "If you insist," he replied. Then he began to return her blows, soon she was on the defensive as his punches and kicks battered at her own defenses. Finally, he backed her to the edge of the mat and feinted a punch, before he swept her legs out from under her and then pinned her to the mat again.

John quickly released her and backed up to the edge of the mat next to Gibbs, "Happy?"

Gibbs replied evenly, disguising his surprise at the kid's skill, "So…I guess you weren't lying about that."

"Nope," Jon replied in the same tone.

"Weapons?" Gibbs pressed.

"Proficient in both short and long knife and I haven't met a ranged weapon yet that I can't qualify on," Jon stated seriously.

"Hand to hand?" Gibbs continued while watching John closely, trying to detect anything that rang false.

"Level 4 Instructor," Jon replied evenly.

Gibbs let out a soft sigh, "Go get changed. I'll join you in a minute."

"Yes, Sir," Jon replied, his cheeky grin back in place as he sauntered back to the changing rooms.

"Boss?" Tony asked, breaking the silence. "What's going on?"

Gibbs glanced around at his team. Tim and Tony were openly confused, but Ziva was suspicious and concerned. He shook his head and addressed them sternly, "I've got a case that is going to take a few weeks to investigate, and since none of you bone heads could pass the clearance check, O'Neill is my new backup. You have 3 days to get him up to speed on investigative procedure. Enough to assume a cover ID as a NCIS Probationary Agent. Don't disappoint me." Gibbs stared down each of his agents before turning to leave.

Ziva returned his gaze calmly. She had been born and raised in the Israeli intelligence. Cover ID's were second nature to her. She would do her best to ensure that John's cover was fleshed out enough to not give him away.

Gibbs nodded curtly and strode out of the room.

-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG

Chapter 5 – Convincing Abby

Jon followed Gibbs into the elevator after changing back into his suit. He didn't bother to put the jacket back on and just carried it over one arm with the tie tucked into a pocket. It was one thing to be formal for the President, but he never had a love for the suit and tie. The sooner he could get into BDU's the better.

Now, he was just waiting for Gibbs to give him some kind of direction. Jon didn't usually feel the need to talk to fill the silence, but Gibbs' slightly hostile quiet was beginning to get to him. 

Instinctively, Jon knew that Gibbs was just testing him, trying to find his limits. But Jon had been away from that kind of bullshit for too long. He knew what he needed to do to prove himself to Gibbs, but he was finding it hard to care. He knew his limits and that was enough for him. But he never did the silent treatment well unless he was doing it to someone else…

But before he cracked, Gibbs broke the silence, "You get to convince Abby to come on this little trip the President has thrown together. Report to DiNozzo when you are done."

Jon nodded, "I'll need to take her to a secure location to brief her." His brief observations of the building had found that NCIS was as well monitored as the SGC. Unfortunately, only Gibbs and Abby were cleared to know anything about Atlantis.

Gibbs turned and eyed him suspiciously, "MTAC?"

Jon turned a critical eye on Gibbs, "Please, secure...yes. Secure enough for the project...hell no."  
"And my basement was?" Gibbs retorted.

Jon grinned, "Yeah, after it was scanned."

Gibbs held his eyes for a moment in a contest of wills. The elevator door opened and Gibbs broke contact first. "Fine. Just don't take too long." Gibbs strode out the elevator and down the hall towards the Forensics Lab. Jon quickly caught up and they entered the lab together.

A heavy gothic beat pounded through the lab, deafening everyone who walked in. Ms. Abby Sciuto was moshing in front of her computer in time to the music. Gibbs called her name once, before striding over to the stereo and unplugging it. The immediate silence was almost as deafening as the music.

"HEY!" Abby protested as she turned around glaring. Her angry glare immediately changed to a megawatt smile as she spotted Gibbs. "GIBBS!" she shouted in greeting as she ran over and gave Gibbs a hug. She gave Jon a curious look as she turned back to Gibbs, "What are you doing down here? I haven't got anything running for you, do I?" she asked as she looked around at her machinery.

"No, Abs," Gibbs replied with a crooked grin, "I brought you a present." He gestured to Jon.  
Abby turned and gave him her full appraisal. Jon flushed in embarrassment as she let her once over linger a bit longer than was necessary.

"No offense, Gibbs, but I prefer my men a bit older. Oh, he's cute and all, but...I like my men a bit more...mature," Abby said as she turned away from the pair. "Besides, it's not my birthday. You don't need to get me a present."

"Well, I had to get you something for dragging you away from your lab," Gibbs replied cryptically.

"What?" Abby spun around eyes wide.

"O'Neill will explain everything. I'll talk to you two later," Gibbs turned and nodded to Jon with a suppressed smirk and left before Abby could corner him.

"Gibbs? Damn it. I'm not leaving...Don't you remember what happened last time...Gibbs?" Abby called after Gibbs. She rounded on Jon, "I don't want to hear it, mister. I DON'T LEAVE THE LAB. It's a rule...or should be..." She suddenly stopped mid-sentence, "O'Neill? As in Jonathan O'Neill?" she stalked him from across the lab, with a distinctly predatory look on her face.

"Uh...yeah. I prefer Jon," he said and stuck out his hand in greeting.

Abby squealed and grabbed him in a huge hug, "Fingerprint Boy!" She released the hug only to latch on to his arm and drag him across the lab to one corner.

"I still prefer Jon," he said again, sullenly.

Abby giggled and proceeded to pull out her finger printing supplies. "You are the best present ever," she replied. "Gibbs has totally outdone himself." She finished taking his prints and then dragged him over to another corner and pulled out a sterile q-tip, "Open wide."

Jon pulled back and evaded the q-tip, "Hey, could you buy a guy dinner before sampling his DNA?" She pulled her arm back and giggled at his comment. "Tell ya what, I'll let you take your samples...providing that you let me convince you to go on this mission."

Abby's eyebrow quirked and she grinned at him, her arm still wielding her q-tip, "Mission? I'm a lab geek at NCIS...I don't do 'missions'," she replied with air quotes.

Jon sighed, "Alright, maybe 'mission' isn't the right word. What's the right cop word?...Case? Yeah, case. Let me convince you to go with us on this case. Deal?"

Abby giggled again. "Case," she said, again using with air quotes. "Wow, did you get your decoder ring out of a cereal box?" She picked up her stuffed hippo and gave it a good squeeze. The hippo let out a farting noise and Abby grinned. "The answer is still no."

Jon grinned at the farting hippo. Hell, where did one even find a farting hippo. "Look, I know you don't usually leave the lab. But, we are going to be so far from DC that we can't send the data back for you to look at. Agent Gibbs doesn't trust anyone but you when it comes to the lab geek stuff. He needs you to come with us."

"Gibbs needs me?" Abby repeated as she eyed him.

"Yes," Jon replied, sensing that he was treading on thin ice.

Abby broke out into a huge grin, "Nice angle. So, where are we going?"

Jon hesitated then grimaced, "I can't tell you here."

She frowned at him, "Why not?"

He winced, "Because it's classified," he offered lamely.

She looked around, cocked her head to one side, and waved her q-tip like a wand, "We are deep in the heart of NCIS headquarters. I'm sure we are secure enough."

Jon closed his eyes and let out a slow breath, "Yeah, deep inside a heavily monitored building where only you, Gibbs, and I are allowed to know the location." He stopped and then smiled, "But, I know where we can go so I can tell you...you game?"

Abby eyed him up and down critically, “You'll really can tell me?"

Jon gave her the patented O'Neill grin, "Honest Injun."

She responded to his grin, "Okay." She stepped back up to him with her q-tip and quirked her eyebrow.

Jon sighed and opened his mouth. Abby quickly swiped the q-tip swab on the side of his mouth and then tucked it into a sample jar, humming to the Goth tune that had been playing earlier.

Once Abby had properly labeled and cataloged her new prints and samples. Then she went around the lab and checked all her machines before taking off her lab coat and hanging it up. Finally, she turned back to Jon, "I'm all ready. Let's go."

Jon grinned as he took in her full Goth attire. He was really starting to like Abby. Oh yeah, this was going to be good. "Bring your finger printing/DNA collecting stuff," he said rubbing his hands together. He knew the perfect place to brief her and the best part of his plan was his ability to harass Jack at the same time.

"Okay," she quickly collected her gear and then looked at him expectantly. "Well?"

Jon laughed, "Do you have somewhere...without cameras that I could make a call?"

She gave him a questioning look and then said, "Sure. We'll use Gibbs' conference room," she said as she led him back to the elevators.

"Right..." Jon said confused, as he followed her into the elevator.

The elevator doors closed and Abby punched the emergency stop button and then looked at him expectantly.

"Here?" he said confused.

"Yup, the stop kills the power to the lights and...dun, dun, dun...the cameras," she said in a deep comical voice.

He laughed and pulled out his special cell phone. "Here, hold this," he told Abby as he passed her the locator beacon. Then he quickly dialed the SGC and had Walter patch him through to Carter on the Daedalus, "Hey, Carter..." he said smoothly, "Can you send me and a friend to Jack's office?"

"Sure, Jon. Just give me a second...Ready?" Carter replied in a distracted tone.

"You betcha," he replied with a wink to Abby. A second later they were both enveloped in white light.

The light faded and they were surrounded by machinery and computers. Abby continued to stare at the computers in wide eyed fascination while Jon turned and caught sight of Carter and an Asgard. He smiled and waved as Carter looked up. She eyed Abby's clothing with a questioning look before asking, "Is he expecting you?"

Jon gave her a wicked grin, "Nope."

She sighed, "Jon..." then just shook her head, "Fine, but remember that Dr Novak is the one who did you a favor."

Jon's grin widened, "Yes, Ma'am."

Carter smiled back and they were once again surrounded by white light.

This time when the light faded, they were standing in front of a large cherry wood desk. Major General Jack O'Neill looked up and slowly took off the reading glasses he had been using to go through reports. He eyed the two new additions to his office and quirked an eyebrow at Jon.

"Oh. My. God." Abby exclaimed, her eyes wide with excitement. She turned to Jon holding out the locator beacon, "This is the coolest holographic generator ever. I mean, the detail in the computer room with the blonde and the Roswell alien was pretty cool, but to see General Foxy's office. Did Tony tell you I had a crush on him?" she rambled on while trying to take in the room and ogle Jack.

"Um…" Jon tried to start, "It's not a hologram."

"Really?" Abby said in a disbelieving tone. "If it's not a hologram…then what is it?" she challenged, clearly feeling that her position was solid.

"My office," Jack replied clearly amused. He carefully closed the folders on his desk before leaning back and watching the pair.

Abby let out a squeak and jumped at the sound of his voice. She instinctively stepped behind Jon clutching her kit to her chest.

"Jon?" Jack asked in a firm tone.

"Jack," Jon replied with a grin as he watched his older double.

Jack sniffed, "Care to explain?" he prompted, gesturing to Abby.

"Oh…" Jon replied as if it slipped his mind, "Disclosure, yada yada, the usual, ya know?"

"Ah…" Jack said in understanding. "So you brought her…here?"

"Well, yeah," Jon goaded, as if this was the most obvious place to take her.

"He's really real?" Abby asked quietly behind him.

"Yeah. Go ahead and poke him," Jon replied.

"Hey!" Jack protested as Abby stepped out from behind Jon to do just that.

Abby walked around the desk and eyed Jack warily before carefully reaching out and poking him in the arm. She gave him the biggest smile and then dropped into his lap for a hug and a quick peck on the cheek. She jumped up and dropped her kit on the desk in front of him. "You are so much cuter than your AFIS photo," she stated as laid out her supplies.

"What?" Jack asked even more bewildered than before.

"Of course, your mug shot was pretty hot. But it had the whole bad boy feel to it. Now open," she instructed holding out another q-tip.

Jack snapped his jaw shut and tried to back away from the q-tip wielding Goth girl, "Jon?"

Too late, Abby darted forward and swabbed the inside of his mouth. She had the q-tip tucked back into a sample jar before Jack could protest.

"I wouldn't fight her. She probably won't stop until she has her samples to test. Will you?" Jon asked with a cheeky grin.

"Nope," Abby replied with a smile while tugging on one of Jack's reluctant hands.

Seeing Jon laughing at him, Jack finally relented and allowed Abby to take his fingerprints.

"I'm assuming there's a reason for all this," Jack stated waving his ink stained fingers at Jon.

"Uh, yeah, kinda, sorta…" Jon dissembled.

"Of course," Abby replied with a grin. "I plan on finding out why you two have identical finger prints. You do know how impossible that is, right?"

"She does have clearance, doesn't she?" Jack asked Jon pointedly.

"Stop talking about me like I'm not here…It's rude," Abby said with a frown while crossing her arms and stomping her foot.

"Sorry, where are my manners," Jon apologized with a sassy grin, "Jack, may I introduce you to Ms. Abigail Sciuto, NCIS' foremost forensics expert, and my new teammate. Abby, Major General Jack O'Neill, Director of Homeworld Security, general pain-in-the-ass, and original holder of the DNA."

Abby's eyes widened as she took in that last statement, but she held herself back and gave the general a deep curtsy, "General."

Jack inclined his head politely, "Ms. Sciuto."

Jon clapped his hands loudly, "Alright. Now down to business. Abby, I'm sure you are curious as to how we got here."

"I still say it's a hologram…a really, really, cool interactive hologram…" Abby replied as she snooped around the room.

"But it's not. It's a really cool alien transporter," Jon replied casually.

Abby spun around and gaped at Jon, "Alien…you're not just saying that are you?"

"Nope," he replied with a smile. "That Roswell alien you saw is actually an Asgard. His name is Hermiod. He's been helping us out by upgrading several of our ships' systems."

Abby sank down into the nearest chair in shock. "But…but…wow!" Then she round on Jack with an accusing finger, "I knew the Air Force was in on the cover-up."

Jack frowned, "Which cover-up?"

"The one were the aliens are abducting people for weird tests…cow mutilations…and…and crop circles and stuff…" Abby said winding herself up. "Oh, my God. You aren't going to erase my memory or anything are you?"

Jon and Jack chuckled. Jack raised his hand in an appeasing gesture, "No. We don't do that sort of thing. And if we didn't want you to know…then you wouldn't have been selected for the Atlantis case."

"You mean Atlantis is real too?" Abby said in shock.

Jack turned to Jon, "Haven't you told her yet?"

"No, I was saving it for a secure location. They have NCIS Headquarters wired as heavily as the SGC," Jon replied sitting down next to Abby.

"Well, if I have to watch that damn tape again, we can at least have cake." Jack hit his intercom, "Janelle, I need cake and coffee for three."

"Yes, General," the intercom squeaked back.

Jon hopped up and put in a DVD in the player tucked into the corner of the room. "I can't believe you actually convinced Daniel to do this video," Jon commented.

"Why? He was sick of being called into every new disclosure briefing and losing a day of playing with his rocks." Jack smiled, "Actually, he was surprised that he didn't think of it sooner."

The video started showing Daniel standing in front of the Stargate, "Hello. I'm Doctor Daniel Jackson and behind me is a Stargate. It was originally built millennia ago by an alien race…"

The office door opened as the DVD played and Jack's secretary brought in the cake and coffee. Abby quietly accepted her piece of cake, while her eyes were riveted to the screen absorbing the information. After being shushed several times, Jon gave up trying to talk to Jack and just watched. Jack went back to his reports and emails. Jon shut the video off after Daniel had completed the section about finding the original Stargate in Egypt and a brief summary of the first Stargate mission.

"Well, what do you think?" Jon asked the awed girl.

Abby continued to stare at the wall, "I think I need to know why you brought me here. 'Cause this…" she said gesturing to the TV. She turned her eyes on the two, "This is a lot…"

"Yeah," Jon started. "The President has asked Agent Gibbs to do an investigation into a Marine Lieutenant who is currently listed as MIA. Gibbs is the family advocate for this case. This Marine was stationed in Atlantis in the Pegasus Galaxy. Of his current team, only you and Gibbs were able to pass the security checks. I was assigned as additional support."

Abby gave him a disbelieving look, "You're a kid. How could you possibly help?"

"I only look like a kid. I'm actually that old geezer's clone," Jon said pointing back to Jack.

Jack looked up from his reports and glared over his glasses, "I'm not even going to dignify that with a reply."

"Clone?" Abby scoffed. "I don't think so. We are years from human cloning."

"Yeah, humans are. But the aliens figured it out years ago," Jon quipped with a smile.

"What?" Abby said. "You are honestly trying to get me to believe that you…he was cloned by aliens? Do I look that stupid?"

Jon smiled, "I never said you were stupid. I even gave you samples to test. That's why the fingerprints match. The DNA will match too. Trust me, this…" he said gesturing to his body, "was not my idea."

Abby glared at him and stood up and started to pace the office, thinking hard. "Alright," she said, "assuming you are correct, that still doesn't explain how you can help Gibbs and I. Sharing DNA just isn't enough."

Jon watched her closely and finally relented, "The aliens that perfected this cloning process…" Jack snorted across the room. "…do not reproduce the normal way. They clone a body and transfer their consciousness into the clone. I don't just have Jack's DNA. I also share his memories up until when I was cloned. Anything he could do…" Jon said pointing at Jack with a grin, "I can do better."

"Better?" Jack shook his head in disbelief.

"Better," Jon quipped pointing to the glasses.

Jack sighed tiredly, "Just you wait, your time will come. First the knees and then the back and finally, the eyes."

Abby just continued to stare at the two of them in disbelief, shaking her head.

"Would it help if I told you about his first crush in 3rd Grade?…Little Nancy Spencer…" Jon said with an evil grin.

"Hey," Jack protested. "That is so…NOT cool."

"Or what about that time at the Cubs game where…" Jon continued.

"NOT. COOL," Jack interrupted.

Abby finally giggled at their antics before finally relenting, "I'm not saying that I believe you, but…I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt…for now." She gave them both a shy smile, "I'll go…providing that I get to meet a real live alien."

Jon grinned, "Oh, that…is a given."

"Welcome aboard," Jack said with the same quirky grin.

-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG

Chapter 6 – Family

Gibbs left Jon at NCIS headquarters in the capable hands of his team. He didn't need the kid for this interview. In fact, he preferred to do this one without him. So, he traveled alone to the Ford residence. He wanted to get a feel for the Marine without his new shadow. He knocked on the door of the well maintained home and smiled as an elderly woman answered the door.

"Can I help you?" she asked warmly.

"Yes, Ma'am. I'm Special Agent Gibbs, NCIS. I'm looking for Frank and Adele Ford. It's about Lt Aiden Ford," Gibbs said gently.

He watched as the woman seemed to wilt a bit at the mention of the Marine's name. "I'm Adele, Aiden's grandmother. Frank isn't here right now. Please, come in."

Gibbs entered the house and looked around the living room. Pictures covered the shelves and Gibbs noted that the young Marine was smiling in most of them. Finally, he took a seat on the sofa and faced the Marine's grandmother.

"I hope you don't mind, but I've feared this visit for some time," Adele started, not quite looking at him. "I had held out hope that…well, I'm just a silly old woman." She looked up and Gibbs could see the beauty and strength underlying her age. "But, I just wanted my boy home, even…even if he has passed on into God's care."

Gibbs shook his head, "I'm sorry, Ma'am. I'm not here because we have more news about his disappearance." He gave her a reassuring smile, "I'm here to let you know that I have been appointed by the President to review the case and the evidence on your behalf. President Hayes can't release the classified details at this time. I have been given clearance to act as your advocate."

Adele seemed to draw strength from his news and her small form once again rose proudly, "If that is the best that can be done, then it is good news." She granted Gibbs a beautiful smile, "Then what can I do for you, Agent Gibbs?"

"Well, Ma'am, I'm hoping that you would share with me the kind of man your grandson was…what kind of Marine," Gibbs asked as he took out his notebook.

Adele's smile grew, "That I can do." She took a moment to gather her thoughts before she began to describe her grandson. She smiled as she recalled various incidents from his youth that displayed his character. She described how the boy had become a man and how the Marines and shaped that man even further. Her pride in her grandson was as apparent as was her sorrow at his loss. Finally, she finished with his pride and enthusiasm in his last assignment.

"Did he ever tell you about his last assignment?" Gibbs asked, when Adele finished.

"No, nothing directly. He said that it was overseas and that he would be out of touch for a while, but not to worry. He would write as often as he could." She stopped as tears threatened, "We didn't hear anything from him for nearly a year. But then one day a couple of young officers came to our door and handed us a stack of letters and a video tape. That was when they told us that Aiden was missing-in-action." She dabbed the tears from her eyes, "I'm sorry."

"That's alright. Take your time," Gibbs soothed.

Adele cleared her throat and continued, "The video and his letters never mentioned where he was or what exactly he was doing, but…he was so proud to be a part of it. You could see it in his eyes. His letters talked about the people he was stationed with…He was in awe of his commander, Maj Sheppard…and he said that these were honorable people. That he trusted them with his life." She took a deep breath, "Lara met with Maj Sheppard not long after we got the letters…oh she tried to hide it from me, but she should know better. She said that Maj Sheppard was hiding something. Something about Aiden. Something that he was ashamed of."

She sighed and dabbed her eyes again, "I just…I guess that I pushed Senator Thomas so hard because I need to know what happened. I don't care about the secrets of our government…I just want to know what happened to my boy. I need to know so I can let him rest in peace. Do you understand, Agent Gibbs?" she said pleading with him to understand.

"I do," Gibbs replied quietly. "But I can't guarantee that I can give you those answers. I promised the President that I would find the truth. If someone is guilty of anything related to your grandson's disappearance, I will find them and prosecute. But will that be enough? And what if I find that there was nothing anyone could do, will you accept my word? On my honor?"

Adele looked him in the eye and considered him carefully, "Will I ever know the details?"

Gibbs sighed, "I don't know. Someday, it will be declassified, but when…I don't know."

Adele stood carefully and extended her hand, "Then I will have to accept your word, Agent Gibbs. I'm trusting you to find out the truth about my grandson, and if needed to bring those that wronged him to justice."

"Thank you. I won't let you down," Gibbs said as he took her hand. "You have my word."

-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG

Chapter 7 – Welcome to the SGC

Three days later…

"Gibbs?" Abby Sciuto asked as they began descending into the Cheyenne Mountain Complex.

"Yeah, Abs," Gibbs replied absently, as he took in every detail of the complex.

"Um, aren't we supposed to be catching a transport?" Abby asked as the elevator numbers counted up while the elevator was obviously going down.

Gibbs turned to Jon and noticed his casual slouch against the elevator wall. Gibbs quirked an eyebrow at him and Jon just shook his head. Gibbs sighed in frustration. For the last three days, Jon had refused to talk about anything to do with the classified project. He had insisted that they complete full physicals at Bethesda Naval Hospital and had received several shots. Jon refused to tell them what the shots were and why they needed brain scans. He stipulated that once they reached a secure area, all would be revealed, but not one minute sooner.

Gibbs was surprised to find that MTAC wasn't considered secure enough. He would have figured that 10…no 11 levels below the ground would be secure enough, but apparently not.

The elevator hit 12 and opened up to a narrow hallway. Jon smirked as he led the way to yet another checkpoint. They all showed their new security badges to the Airman, had their palms scanned, and signed their names yet again, just to get into another elevator.

The doors closed and the elevator began to descend again. Gibbs could see Abby trying to calculate exactly how deep they were. The elevator stopped at level 28 and opened to reveal several Airmen led by a short Chief Master Sergeant.

"Welcome to Stargate Command," the Chief greeted them with a clipboard. Gibbs watched as he checked off their names on a list. He also noted that the Chief hesitated and glanced back at Jon before checking off the alias O'Brien from the list. He only proceeded when Jon nodded. "Alright, if you will follow me, I'll escort you to the passenger waiting area." Gibbs nodded and the Airmen quickly took their luggage as they followed the Chief through the concrete hallways to a large room with several other people milling about. The Chief turned and after making sure they placed their baggage in the designated area, "Departure is at 1300. Good luck," then he turned and left.

Gibbs glared at Jon again. Jon just pointedly glanced at the other waiting passengers. Gibbs relented and then glanced at his watch, "Not long now." He went back to observing everything and everyone around him.

Abby glared at Gibbs before stating, "Gibbs, am I going to have to be without Caf-Pow this entire assignment?"

"Probably," Gibbs replied.

"Then you owe me…BIG TIME, Mister," Abby stated with venom.

As the appointed departure time drew near, the Chief returned and started handing out miscellaneous items. Gibbs was more than amused to see several scientists receive toothbrushes and one a bottle of contact lens solution before the Chief turned to their small party. He pulled out a clipboard and had each of the sign a non-disclosure agreement and an equipment sign-out form before he handed Jethro a laptop computer.

Next, he turned to Abby and pulled out several cans of Monster Energy Drink before apologizing that it was as close to Caf-Pow as they had in Colorado. Abby squealed with glee and gave the Chief a huge hug and kissed him on his bald head. The Chief blushed red and almost threw an envelope at Jon before he made his escape.

White light enveloped the room. Gibbs had expected it after Jon's earlier performance at the White House. But he didn't expect to arrive on the bridge of a spaceship.

"Welcome aboard the Daedalus. I'm Colonel Caldwell. All luggage has been transported to the dining facility. Dr. Novak will escort you to your quarters. Please review all the safety guidelines provided in your quarters. We will run several combat drills before we arrive in the Pegasus Galaxy and you all will be expected to participate." He turned to a short woman, "Dr. Novak, they're all yours." Then the colonel turned and sat back in what can only be described as the Captain's Chair.

Jon gently ushered his two companions forward as the other scientists from the waiting area surged forward to follow Dr Novak down the corridor. Once they were safely ensconced in their quarters, Jon carefully explained the basic history of the Stargate Program for Gibbs and how it had led to the development of spacecraft with hybrid alien technologies and the colonization of the Ancient Lost City of Atlantis. He provided them Daniel's DVD's for a more in depth summary.

Jon paused in his story and watched as Abby moved from open shock to eager scientists. He could almost see the questions bubbling up behind her eyes. Her earlier disclosure hadn't included the spaceships or a description of Atlantis as an alien city full of advanced technology. She didn't seem quite so worried about leaving her lab now. Gibbs on the other hand had closed off all his reactions and instead was studying Jon with a blank face. Jon was all too familiar with that kind of blank assessment. He used it often. He was resigned to Gibbs distrust, but it was starting to grate on his nerves.

"And this is where our story crosses over with our assignment." Jon pulled out the forgotten laptop and quickly booted it up and opened the classified personnel file for Lt Ford, "Lt Aiden Ford was one of the first military volunteers for the Atlantis exploration team. Doctor Elizabeth Weir was the exploration director. The security component was commanded by Col. Marshall Sumner, USMC, and seconded by Maj John Sheppard, USAF."

"Lt Ford was specifically chosen for the expedition because he was single and had received extensive training as a combat and survival specialist. His former commander described Lt Ford as 'a good man in a tight spot.' He was in line for a position on an SG-Team before his selection to the Atlantis expedition," John explained carefully.

"Wait," Gibbs interrupted. "What's an SG-Team? And why is that important?"

"An SG-Team is a specialized team that is sent through the Stargate to other planets to explore, meet new people, broker treaties with potential allies, research abandoned ruins, and much more. Teams consist of a military component and a scientific component. Most teams are small between 4 to 6 members, but some specialized teams can consist of much more," John explained. 

"Because of the nature of the exploration, each team must have a complete skill set; combat, survival, technical, and linguistics. If something goes wrong, they need to be able to survive long enough for Earth to know they are in trouble and send help."

"Wait a minute…explore PLANETS? As in meeting aliens and stuff?" Abby nearly shrieked.

"Yes," John replied casually.

"I thought you were pulling my leg with that whole ancient alien artifact crap…" Abby's eyes widened. "OH MY GOD! This is so cool. You really are going to introduce me to an alien!"

"Abby!" Gibbs growled a warning.

"Right…Sorry, Gibbs," she stated her eyes still wide in awe and excitement.

Gibbs gestured for Jon to continue.

Jon nodded, "The Atlantis exploration team departed on time and without any problems. All supplies and personnel were transported within the 38 minute window."

Jon glanced up at the two before continuing, "Nothing was heard from the Atlantis team for almost a year. Two rescue missions were launched and aborted before they could leave the galaxy. The third mission was already being planned when the Atlantis team was able to send a burst transmission via the Stargate. In that transmission, Dr Weir explained in detail the decisions she had made over the course of that year, the casualties they had sustained, including the early loss of Col Sumner, and a brief outline of their plan to destroy the city and escape to another planet to avoid a hostile alien race known as the Wraith."

Jon smiled, "General O'Neill sprang into action and immediately ordered troops to reinforce the city as well as the deployment of the USS Daedalus in the city's defense. Using a ZPM, an alien power source, the Daedalus was able to make the trip in 4 days and bolster the city's shields. It was during this defensive action that Lt Ford was severely injured by a wraith shock trooper."

"According to the reports filed by the Atlantis team, Lt Ford was attacked and the wraith trooper tried to feed on him. The trooper was killed before it could complete the action and both the body of the wraith and Lt Ford were thrown out to sea where they remained for some hours. After the battle, Lt Ford and the wraith's body were recovered and Dr. Beckett was able to remove the wraith from the lieutenant. But not without some complications."

Jon looked up at Gibbs, "This is where the story gets vague. Dr Beckett and Maj Sheppard both describe Lt Ford as being under the influence of an alien drug, while Dr Weir describes Lt Ford as being traumatized by the experience. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, if you will. Regardless, before he could recover, Lt Ford escaped the infirmary, injuring several of his fellow Marines in the process and went AWOL through the Stargate to another planet."

Gibbs' eye widened in surprise, "AWOL? I thought he was listed MIA."

"Because Maj Sheppard believed that PTSD or the alien drug influenced his mind, the lieutenant was listed as MIA. Lt Ford's record up till this incident was impeccable. The major insisted that had he been in his right mind, he would never have left the infirmary. In fact, he used that angle to try and prove how the lieutenant was under alien influence at the time of his escape." Jon scanned the contents of the laptop and opened the appropriate files for Gibbs to browse.

Gibbs skimmed the reports and made a note to read them in more detail later, "What else?"

Jon continued, "A few weeks later, SGA-1 encountered Lt Ford while exploring another planet. They attempted to reason with him and failed. Lt Ford evaded capture and eventually escaped the planet. It was determined that lieutenant's use of the alien drug had made him unstable and a severe security risk to the city. Col Caldwell filed several reports about the incident that supported a different opinion on Dr Weir's position and the newly promoted LtCol Sheppard's actions on the planet."

"The Atlantis team encountered Lt Ford one final time, approximately 6 months after the attack on the city. Lt Ford captured SGA-1, his former teammates, and addicted them on the alien drug. He then used them to attack a Wraith Hive Ship. The team destroyed the ship and escaped back to Atlantis. Lt Ford's final known actions were to cover the team and ensure their escape. It was after this encounter that his status was changed from MIA to MIA-Presumed Dead," Jon finished.

"Why still MIA and not AWOL?" Gibbs asked himself. "Alright, let me review these files and I'll get started on an interview list. Abby, I want you to read over the scientific reports and the reports from this Dr Beckett. I want to know everything there is to know about this drug and how it affects the mind. Jon, get a second computer for Abby." Gibbs then turned away from them and began to read the reports in earnest.

-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG

Chapter 8 – The Ballad of Lt Ford

They were almost to Atlantis and after spending their travel days in research; their quarters looked less like a cramped sleeping area and more like the bullpen at NCIS Headquarters. Gibbs had printed up several photos of key personnel in the investigation and had started a timeline using the plain metal walls.

Abby had taken over one corner and had done something similar with the scientific data on the enzyme and the medical reports from Dr Beckett, the treating physician for Lt Ford. She had added a second photo of Lt Ford showing the visible changes that had taken place after he was attacked by the wraith and comparing them to before and after shots of Col Everett, another survivor of a wraith feeding.

"I'm never going to see vampires in the same light," she said quietly to herself, considering Colonel Everett's photos again and shuddering.

Jon's role had been to serve as general gofer and to coordinate with the ships crew in acquiring supplies. He easily slipped into his assumed role. He found that he was enjoying learning about the investigation process. He also found that his inherited knowledge was useful in trying to determine the 'why' part of the process. Abby took care of the 'how' and Gibbs was gradually teaching him how to find the 'why.' His command training had given him the tools on how to motivate people. It could also be used to find not only the strategic reasons for a group's motivations, but an individual's motivations within the group.

"Alright," Gibbs interrupted his thoughts. "Let's go over what we know. Probie, you start," he said pointing at Jon.

Jon gave a resigned sigh. He was sure that Gibbs was trying to aggravate him. But Gibbs seemed to have a harder time saying his cover name, so he used 'Probie' instead. He shook off his resentment and began the story once again, "During the siege of Atlantis, Lt Ford's team encountered enemy wraith and lost contact with the control tower. Approximately one hour after the battle was over, Control was able to detect his life sign floating in the surrounding ocean. Daedalus was contacted and Lt Ford was recovered. Hermiod and Dr. Lindsey Novak transported the lieutenant and an unknown wraith to the Daedalus and informed the infirmary to have security standing by and then transported the two back to the city," Jon paused waiting for Gibbs to interrupt. The last two weeks had taught him to anticipate the break.

"Abs," Jethro gestured for her to continue the story.

Abby gave him a radiant smile, and continued, "According to Dr Beckett, the attending physician, the two arrived in his infirmary and that while the wraith was dead, Lt Ford was miraculously alive. Dr Beckett speculated that the wraith had begun feeding when it was suddenly killed. This is why the wraith was still attached to the lieutenant and why the lieutenant's system had been flooded with the wraith feeding enzyme. Dr Beckett conducted extensive research into the enzyme since this encounter and has been able to prove his theory that the excessive dose of feeding enzyme is why Lt Ford was able to survive in the ocean until he had been found. But it was a big mystery at the time."

"Unfortunately, a large dose of the feeding enzyme has some severe side effects. Initially, the person feels stronger and faster and the senses are enhanced, but as the enzyme breaks down in the body, it upsets the chemical balances in the brain and metabolic processes. In addition to the usual withdrawal symptoms, the patient will display delusions and paranoia and is more likely to react violently to any confrontation. Lt Ford displayed all these symptoms when he made his escape from Atlantis," Abby finished. She was enjoying playing her part as temporary field agent. Jon gave her a reassuring smile.

"Probie," Gibbs gestured back to Jon.

"One hour after his rescue, Lt Ford insisted that he return to duty. When Dr Beckett refused, concerned for his health, Lt Ford attacked him in front of Dr Weir and his teammates. His team was able to talk him down and after displaying shock over his actions, he voluntarily returned to the infirmary where Dr Beckett sedated him. However, shortly after his return to the infirmary, he attacked his Marine guard and threatened Dr Beckett and Lt Kastor, a nurse, demanding they didn't give him the remaining supply of the enzyme. After complying, Lt Ford left the infirmary," Jon recited evenly. They had discussed this part of the case in detail. They were not sure what triggered the change in Ford's behavior from compliance to non-compliance, but the change was too sudden. Something had to have pushed the lieutenant into taking action.

"Dr Beckett reported his escape and treated Sgt Vasquez for a mild concussion. LtCol Sheppard encountered Lt Ford once prior to his escape and tried to talk him down again, but failed and was unable to subdue the lieutenant. Lt Ford stole several weapons and his survival gear before taking a Puddlejumper spaceship and escaped through the Stargate to P3Y-659 where he ditched the ship and dialed another planet," Jon concluded, shaking his head. "You know, something bothers me about this escape. One man should not have been able to elude the full security detachment no matter how strong or fast. Why did Dr Weir send only LtCol Sheppard? Why not the full detachment? Why not guard the Puddlejumpers if they knew that Lt Ford could fly one?"

Gibbs considered the reports and he had to agree. Gibbs excelled at finding the personal motives that moved people, but Jon's command experience via General O'Neill often gave him a deeper insight into the more global motivation of the people involved. Jon knew what motivated command decisions. Dr Weir by all accounts was a reasonable and competent commander and LtCol Sheppard was a more than able second. So why would they suddenly make such obviously poor choices at such a critical time? Now that Jon had mentioned it, it was a glaring omission from the reports.

"Make a note to find out if anything else important was going on. Something that would require the security detachment to be utilized elsewhere," Gibbs went over to his timeline and added a big question mark, and then nodded at Jon to continue with the summary.

Jon returned the nod gratefully. He was too used to being underestimated and dismissed in his younger body. Gibbs' treatment was almost refreshing. He may not trust Jon's experience in investigations, but he would listen to his input and consider it seriously. Maybe Gibbs was even starting to trust him. Jon continued, "Almost a month later, SGA-2, commanded by Maj Lorne discovered a dead wraith while conducting a routine planetary survey of P3M-736. Maj Lorne suspected that Earth-based weapons had been used to kill the wraith. Maj Lorne and Sgt Parrish immediately returned with the body and left Lt Kaufman and Sgt Reed to guard the Stargate. His suspicions were confirmed when Dr Beckett determined that the wraith's enzyme sac had been removed post-mortem. SGA-1 returned with SGA-2 to search for signs of Lt Ford." Jon paused, his voice tight, "They were ordered to attempt to return with the lieutenant dead or alive. He was considered too large a security risk. Col Caldwell was particularly vocal about how LtCol Sheppard failed to follow these orders."

Jon shook his head at the callousness of those orders. But hard SGC experience had taught him that it was a necessary evil. He shook off his displeasure and continued, "During the course of the mission, Lt Ford shot Maj Lorne, Sgt Parrish, and Sgt Reed with a wraith stunner, kidnapped Dr McKay and eventually tried to execute him after Dr McKay was forced to shoot the lieutenant. Lt Ford was only stopped because of the timely interruption by Mr. Ronan Dex. The lieutenant once more attempted to run and was pursued by LtCol Sheppard. LtCol Sheppard cornered the lieutenant and tried to talk him into returning to Atlantis, but Lt Ford refused. LtCol Sheppard was forced to shoot the lieutenant in the leg to prevent him from escaping again. The injured Lt Ford jumped into the capture beam of a wraith Dart before Sheppard could secure him."

Abby frowned, "Dr McKay wrote an exhaustive report about Lt Ford's mental instability and his 'dissociative complex' upon his return. Man that guy can talk. Anyway, LtCol Sheppard's report is much briefer. He simply stated that Lt Ford continues to have delusions about his superiority while taking the enzyme and his paranoia about the Atlantis expedition members. He stated that Lt Ford could still be brought in, but it will likely have to be on the lieutenant's terms in order to regain his trust."

Abby and Jon waited while Gibbs digested the information, "Did SGA-2 encounter Lt Ford at all?"

Jon smirked, "Yes, but it was limited to Lt Ford stunning them unconscious and leaving their bodies behind. Maj Lorne was stunned when Dr McKay was kidnapped. Sgt Reed and Sgt Parrish recall seeing Dr McKay jump from the bushes only to be stunned a second later by Lt Ford."

"And SGA-1?" Gibbs asked, jotting a note next to Maj Lorne's name.

"Dr McKay spent hours with the lieutenant, while LtCol Sheppard and Ronan Dex only spent a few minutes with him. Dex in hand-to-hand combat when he prevent Ford from executing McKay, and Sheppard just before the lieutenant escaped in the Dart," Jon supplied.

"Dex?" Gibbs asked for clarification. "He wasn't on SGA-1."

"Not then. After saving his life, LtCol Sheppard and Teyla Emmagan convinced him to stay on Atlantis and fight the wraith. He took Lt Ford's place on SGA-1," Jon replied, as he double checked his notes.

Gibbs nodded, making another note. He reviewed the timeline and turned back to Jon, "You read Col Caldwell's report," he stated. "Based on what you know, is there a reason why LtCol Sheppard is still in command after Col Caldwell's report was submitted. It was a pretty blatant accusation of incompetence if not outright treason. As the ranking military officer, I'm surprise it wasn't given more weight."

Jon nodded and considered his answer, "There could be several reasons," he started. "First, the report was too hostile. You can see that something else was driving the hostility. Second, Col Caldwell may have been the ranking military officer, but he was not assigned to Atlantis. He was assigned to the Daedalus. Dr Weir was responsible for supervising LtCol Sheppard. Her report carried much more weight than Col Caldwell's. In her report, Dr Weir supported LtCol Sheppard's actions and went on to formally censure Col Caldwell for his interference in security matters on Atlantis. She requested that General O'Neill personally remind the colonel what his job entailed. Third and final reason, the facts don't support the colonel's story. Dr McKay shot Lt Ford. LtCol Sheppard shot Lt Ford. While both men tried to talk the lieutenant into returning to Atlantis voluntarily, they were both forced to act when the lieutenant refused. Their actions support their story and them following their orders to the best of their ability. The only questionable act was when Sheppard shot Ford in the leg. If he had taken the head shot, the wraith would not have captured him alive and the threat would have been eliminated."

Jon shook his head, "But I doubt any military commander would prosecute him for taking the wounding shot instead. Ford was his second in command during a difficult year. At the time he thought he could secure the lieutenant and return him to Atlantis. The wraith dart passing by was just bad timing."

Gibbs nodded in agreement. It was a hard decision for any commander to make. LtCol Sheppard couldn't have known that the lieutenant would prefer capture by the wraith than by his own people. The story matched what he had read so far of the personalities of both LtCol Sheppard and Dr Weir. He was less sure about Dr McKay. He would have to reserve judgment until he was able to talk to McKay himself. He mulled over the facts for a few more moments, formulating questions and developing a strategy for interviewing the various players in this drama. Finally, he looked back at Abby and Jon and nodded.

Jon took that as his cue to continue the summary, "The last time anyone from the Atlantis expedition saw Lt Ford was approximately five months later. Lt Ford orchestrated a trap for SGA-1 using local contacts. After he captured the team, he addicted 3 of the members to the wraith feeding enzyme; Dr McKay, Ms Emmagan, and Mr Dex. He kept them for several days forcing them to prepare for a suicide mission against a wraith hive ship and continually dosing them on the enzyme. He used Dr McKay as a hostage to ensure their good behavior on the mission. LtCol Sheppard reported that they had been told that Dr McKay would be killed if the mission should fail for any reason."

Jon grinned, "So, of course, the mission failed and the team was captured by the wraith. They were wraith prisoners for several days, but LtCol Sheppard was able to gain valuable intelligence on the territorial nature of the wraith and the current unrest among the different hives. In the mean time, Dr McKay was able to escape from his captors and return to Atlantis with the next planet targeted by that hive ship. The Daedalus was dispatched to rescue the team if possible and to destroy the hive ship. The Daedalus engaged two hive ships at that the target location and then watched as the hives began to fight amongst themselves, thanks to LtCol Sheppard's intervention. The remaining members of SGA-1 were able to escape with the help of Lt Ford. Lt Ford was last seen within the first wraith hive ship just before it exploded. Both hive ships were completely destroyed in the fight and his body was not recovered."

"According to Col Caldwell, nothing could have survived the destruction of the two hive ships. The Daedalus assumed that SGA-1 had been killed during the blast only to find them safely on Atlantis when they returned to the city. They had escaped by flying a wraith dart through the Stargate just before the hives exploded. LtCol Sheppard believed that Lt Ford was also able to escape using a wraith dart, but has no proof to back up this claim," Jon turned to Abby. She shrugged, having nothing to add.

Gibbs watched them briefly before turning back to his timeline, "Okay, so in spite of the fact that Lt Ford went AWOL, repeatedly assaulted his fellow officers and team mates, addicted his teammates to the same drug that was clouding his judgment, AND was directly responsible for putting them in the hands of the enemy, Dr Weir has him listed as MIA. Either there is more to the story, or they are refusing to see the truth."

"Sir," Jon interrupted quickly. "There is precedent for this kind of thing at the SGC. On more than one occasion SGC members have come under 'alien influence' and been forgiven for any transgressions that happened during that time. A good example is the Broca Virus outbreak the first year of the program. The virus regressed infected individuals to a primitive mind. This resulted in several vicious assaults, two murders, and a rape. No one was held responsible for their actions while under the sway of the virus."

"Lt Ford, through no fault of his own was addicted to the wraith enzyme. It severely affected his judgment and reasoning. By SGC standards, it is a clear case of alien influence. Standing orders in this kind of case are to contain the affected member, if possible." Jon paused, pain reflecting in his eyes, before continuing, "But Earth security must take precedence. The judgment of the commander is considered when deciding whether or not to terminate a member under alien influence, if they cannot be contained."

"And you have more cases where lethal force was required?" Gibbs asked.

They hadn't talked about this aspect of alien warfare before. It was one of the unhappy side-effects of working with the unknown on a constant basis. No one at the SGC liked the orders. They understood them, but they didn't like them. Jon closed his eyes briefly before giving Gibbs a hard look, "Yes."

"Oh God," Abby sighed, tears forming in her eyes, as she sat down hard on the bunk in disbelief. "But…they just…can't."

Jon continued to hold Gibbs's eyes steadily, "Major Charles Kowalski was KIA when an unknown goa'uld took over his body and attempted to escape through the Stargate. Using his body, the goa'uld killed one man and injured several others in this escape attempt before he was finally killed. Kowalski was buried with full honors."

"Mrs. Sha're Jackson, the civilian wife of Dr. Daniel Jackson, was kidnapped and made host to the goa'uld Amaunet, wife of the System Lord Apophis. Many crimes were directly attributed to her by the Tok'ra. Sha're was killed when Amaunet was cornered and refused to surrender. She was buried on her home planet of Abydos. I could go on," Jon said steadily, his voice devoid of emotion.

Gibbs returned Jon's gaze with a look of compassion. Sometime military necessity sucked, but for the good of the many... "No need," he replied, as he turned back to his timeline. "But how does that help us?"

"It doesn't. It just explains why the military, usually an unfeeling machine, took a compassionate angle on Lt Ford's state of mind," Jon explained quietly.

"Oh," Abby perked up, and started shuffling through her computer files. "I know why…Dr. Beckett did a detailed report on the chemical changes in the brain caused by the use and breakdown of the enzyme. He also made detailed observations on the mental health of Dr McKay after he returned to Atlantis while under a heavy dose of the enzyme."

"Here it is..." she said practically bouncing in place, her momentary distress already forgotten. "Now remember, McKay escaped while still high on the drug. Dr Beckett noted that McKay had…" she read directly from the report, "…severely impaired reasoning, a sense of invulnerability, demonstrated hyperactivity, and a noticeable attention deficit. He stated that McKay was unable to finish a complete sentence before changing his train of thought. This changed to severe paranoia, depression, and suicidal tendencies during the withdrawal process. In fact, McKay wasn't able to relay vital intelligence until he had recovered from withdrawal, even though it was obvious that he was trying to say something important. McKay, Ms. Emmagan and Mr. Dex all confirmed Dr Beckett's findings with supplemental reports about how they felt and reacted while 'high' and throughout their withdrawal. Dr Beckett concluded that until Lt Ford went through the de-tox process, his reasoning would remain impaired." She grinned triumphantly, "Thus, the alien influence exception applies."

Gibbs nodded and turned back to his timeline and his notes. After several quiet moments, he turned back to Jon, "As soon as we arrive, I want you to start setting up interviews. We'll need a room where we can record the interviews, but I want to be alone in the room. I want to start with Col Caldwell. I'm not happy with his report. I want to know what was driving the report. Next, we'll hit Dr Weir and his former teammates."

"Yes, Sir," Jon replied taking notes. They were within communication range of the city now. He could easily ensure that everything was ready for their arrival. "Abby?"

"Yeah?" she replied, turning away from her little corner.

"Wanna go meet that alien now?" Jon said with a cheeky grin.

"Really? There's been an alien on this ship this whole time and you didn't tell me?" Abby jumped up and smacked his arm. "Well? Lead on McDuff!" she said as she pushed him out into the hallway.

Jon led her to the engine room and introduced her to Hermiod. He was forgotten within moments as she peppered the poor Asgard with every alien question that had ever occurred to her. Dr Novak set up a secure communication line with Atlantis and Jon relayed their needs. He finally rescued the sullen alien when Abby had started citing the Roswell facts and how they correlated with the surge in crop circles globally. Just before the doors to the engine room shut, Jon heard the Asgard sigh in relief.

-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG

Chapter 9 – Atlantis

Gibbs, Abby, and Jon beamed into the Atlantis gate room as soon as they arrived in orbit. Gibbs immediately identified the confident brunette as Dr Weir. She was flanked on her right by the slouching form of LtCol Sheppard and on her left by the distracted form of Dr. McKay. Both men had the air of desperately wanting to be somewhere else.

"Welcome to Atlantis," Dr Weir greeted them. "I'm Dr Elizabeth Weir. This is LtCol John Sheppard, our military commander and Dr Rodney McKay our scientific chair."

Gibbs returned her polite smile with an outstretched hand, "Special Agent Gibbs. Agent O'Brian and Ms. Sciuto. From NCIS," she took his hand with a firm grip. "I hope we won't be too much trouble for you. I know you have an important job to do out here."

"Of course not," Weir replied casually. "If you don't mind, we weren't told of the reason for your investigation. I'm more than a bit curious."

Gibbs gave her a crooked grin, "I've been asked to review the disappearance of Lt Ford." Gibbs took note of how LtCol Sheppard immediately tense up. Anger and guilt radiated from him in waves.

McKay's reaction was more vocal. "What? He died like a year ago…I can't believe this. Just like the military…I don't have time for this." He abruptly turned to Dr Weir, "I'll be in my lab following up on the Wraith ship interface…Of all the half-assed…" he mumbled to himself as he abruptly stormed off.

Dr Weir sighed in tired resignation, "You'll have to excuse Dr McKay. He can be…difficult on most days…"

"And today is apparently worse then most," LtCol Sheppard quipped with a feral grin.

Dr Weir shot a searing glare at the colonel before turning back to Gibbs. She had lost her polite smile and was showing a more wary expression. "Why don't we take this to the conference room?" she said as she gestured for them to follow her.

Gibbs glanced back at Abby and was unsurprised by her open expression of awe at the city. His brief glace around the room had automatically noted the firing positions and the obvious sentries. Looking around again, he found the place to be beautiful and strangely serene. He wasn't sure what he was expecting from an alien city, but this peaceful calming architecture was definitely not it. He gave Abby a full grin before checking up on Jon.

Jon didn't look awed or excited about his surroundings, which Gibbs had expected. But he did look distracted, which Gibbs hadn't expected. He was staring at a spot on the floor with his hand half raised in an unconscious gesture. Then he shook himself and turned away from the spot before becoming preoccupied with another undistinguishable spot, this time on one of the walls.  
"Probie?" Gibbs asked gently.

Once more Jon shook off his preoccupation and turned to Gibbs, "Sorry. Pretty isn't it? Well, shall we?" he said gesturing after Dr Weir and LtCol Sheppard. Gibbs narrowed his eyes and then nodded and quickly followed Dr Weir to the large conference room.

Once everyone was settled into their chairs, Dr Weir leaned forward and addressed the team, "I'm sorry if your reception was a bit tense in the gateroom. It's just that we were caught by surprise. Aiden was a good man and a close friend." She gave them a sad smile, "We are still mourning his loss."

Gibbs saw the politician's answer for what it was and nodded. He had expected nothing less from Weir. She was an experienced diplomat. But he could see that Sheppard didn't agree. His whole body continued to radiate hostility.

Gibbs nodded and kept his face impassive, "I understand. I'm not here on a witch hunt. I'm here to be the advocate for the family." He noticed Sheppard flinch. "They are questioning the military's story and have enough political clout to kick up a fuss. Since Lt Ford was a Marine, NCIS has been asked to review the case from an impartial point of view. Adele Ford, the lieutenant's grandmother, deserves to know that everything possible was done for her grandson." 

Gibbs was discreetly watching Sheppard and saw him glance down and away in shame. "President Hayes agrees and has given me full authority to re-investigate this case…and frankly, the reports I've seen so far are so full of holes that I have to assume you people are trying to cover something up." Sheppard's head snapped up, his eyes burning with outrage.

Dr Weir immediately tensed and glared at him, not in rage but in anger and grief, "I can assure you that we are not." She said with deliberate precision.

Gibbs interrupted her, "Yet Lt Ford was never charged with assault, kidnapping, attempted murder…" he chuckled grimly trying to goad Sheppard into a stronger reaction. "…hell, you can't even be bothered to list him as AWOL."

Sheppard exploded out of his seat, eyes blazing, "For someone who ISN'T on a witch hunt, you sure are trying to find one." He turned to Dr Weir, "I won't stand by while they…" he gestured angrily at Gibbs. "…destroy Ford's name. I'll be in the training room if you need me," he said with barely controlled rage before storming out of the room.

Dr Weir turned her angry stare back to Gibbs. She regarded him carefully, before rising slowly and leaning forward on the table. "Special Agent Gibbs, I don't care for your accusations or your tone. Lt Ford was an honorable officer who served his country and this expedition well until his accident." She paused holding his steady gaze, "I have prepared a room for your interviews to the specifications you sent. I'll make sure my people show up for their interviews. But if you conduct your interviews in this tone, I can't be sure that they will cooperate. I'll have the sergeant show you to your assigned quarters."

"I appreciate that…I don't believe using kid gloves. I will find the truth whether you like it or not," Gibbs said as he rose, matching her stance and meeting her eyes. "Good men go bad everyday and many a fine officer has crossed that very fine line." He watched as the knowledge seeped into her eyes and her anger faded a bit. He nodded, "Here is my interview list. I want to get started first thing in the morning."

He handed her the handwritten list and watched her as she scanned it. Her eyes briefly narrowed as she took in the list. Interesting, she wasn't happy about someone on the list. He continued, "Abby will work with your scientific team starting with Doctor Beckett. I want her to review his processes and his results. O'Brien," he stumbled over the cover ID, "will act as our liaison."

Dr Weir looked back up and glanced at each of them, "Alright. I'll make sure that they show up for their interviews and I'll try to get them to cooperate. All that I ask in return is that you keep an open mind." She waited for his nod before she turned and left.

Silence reigned in the conference room after she left. Gibbs slowly turned and quickly scanned his team. Abby's eyes were open and unsure, but she nodded when he looked at her. She would follow his lead. Jon on the other hand had leaned back casually and looked at ease. But Gibbs had spent his time on the ship studying the kid, trying to get a feel for him. This was the front he presented to everyone he didn't trust. It invited the ignorant to underestimate both his intelligence and knowledge.

Jon noticed Gibbs watching and dropped the front as he leaned forward, "Well played, Sir."  
Gibbs nodded in response and gestured at Jon, "Play up the dumb-friendly-probie bit. See what you can learn about Sheppard. Feel him out. He was too angry. I didn't get the sense that Weir was hiding anything, but anyone who has played in politics as long as she has would have learned to hide her responses. Let me know what you find." Gibbs turned to Abby, "Abs, I want you to do the same with McKay and Beckett. Ooh and awe over their toys…toss in a bit of flattery. I want to know if you sense that anything is off."

"Oooh, role playing," Abby said with a grin. "Mission accepted, Sir," she said with a cocky grin and a crooked salute. Jon also nodded his assent.

"Good. I'll continue to play the hostile investigator. That should direct most of the animosity my way. We'll compare notes later," Gibbs replied before he headed out of the conference room both Abby and Jon following him out. They easily found the assigned sergeant waiting in the hallway.

-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG—SG

Jon tried to stay focused as they walked to their quarters but he was finding that more difficult than he thought. He could feel the city like a low level electric current. He wasn't prepared for the deep reaction he felt as he stood surrounded by the Ancient Technology. It whispered its secrets to him like long forgotten memories. Broken panels and failing light screamed for attention next to the more subtle systems.

He almost sighed in relief as they passed out of the central control tower and into one of the residential sections of the ship. The main systems of propulsion and life support muted their shouts for attention.

Once they reached their rooms, Jon felt an overwhelming need to reach out to the city. He had actually started to reach for one of the hidden panels before he stopped himself.

"Jon," Abby asked tentatively. "Are you okay?"

Jon shook his head, seeing Gibbs and Abby looking at him strangely. "Sorry."

"That's the second time you've zoned out. What's going on?" Gibbs asked with a strange look.

Jon sighed, "It's the city."

"What about it?" Gibbs prompted.

Jon rubbed his hand over his face and let out a huff in frustration, "It's hard to explain. I can feel the city. It's sort of…talking to me…but I can't quite make out the words. It's like I'm remembering something…"

"Right…the city is talking to you…" Abby said with complete skepticism.

Jon smirked at her and let his hand touch the wall panel he had resisted. Immediately a force field separated their quarters from the rest of the section. He closed his eyes briefly and soon the dry water fountain in the corner began to trickle a steady stream of water and an odd soothing music began to fill the hallway. Colored lights began to dance in the fountain in harmony to the music. He opened his eyes and let his hand fall away from the panel.

"Wow!" Abby replied in awe. "How'd you do that?"

He shrugged, "I have the ATA gene. I just didn't think the city would be quite so…distracting."

Gibbs was watching him with a considering look, "What else can you do?"

Jon smiled, "I can probably access just about any system in the city. The protocols are wide open right now. Hell, I could force a complete computer system lockout if I needed to. I can definitely access anything in the database including surveillance footage and computer logs."

"Do they know you can do this?" Gibbs asked.

"No, when we built my cover ID we left out the ATA gene. They will most likely assume that I don't have it," Jon said grinning.

"Alright. Get me any surveillance footage you can from the computers and find us someplace to setup shop," Gibbs replied with a suppressed smirk.

"Yes, Sir," Jon replied with his own grin.

-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG

Chapter 10 – Colonel Caldwell's Interview

Jon had found an empty lab just around the corner from their assigned quarters. It had been cleaned out and left empty by the expedition, but the computer consoles were permanent fixtures and had been left behind. Jon was able to key the door to his team's biological signatures. If anyone else tried to open the door, they would be ignored.

Once secure, the team spent the rest of the day recreating their timeline and hanging their files and pictures back up on the walls, just like they had posted them in their quarters on the Daedalus. Jon was able to use the Ancient consoles and monitors to project the information they had collected on the laptops through an Ancient-Human interface link.

All in all, the new room looked like it could easily be an Ancient version of the bullpen at NCIS headquarters. It took Jon almost an hour to locate the Atlantis security video feeds. He eventually had to cross reference how the humans tracked time with the Ancient version of timekeeping before he could find them.

The Ancients only recorded a room if life signs were detected or it had been coded for constant surveillance. However, when they had abandoned Atlantis, the Ancients had removed all the security protocols on the cameras, since they didn't know when they were likely to return or who the returnees were likely to be.

The Atlantis team had been accessing the security feeds, but had not figured out how to activate the constant monitoring feature yet. He marked the entire lot of files and created a quick link for Gibbs to use. Next, he created security parameters around the interview room. Only the NCIS team would have access to the feeds ensuring that they could review and discuss each interview without worrying about someone on Atlantis trying to hack in. His final touch was to convert the viewing monitor to English using the Earth laptop language settings, another feature that the Atlantis expedition had yet to use.

Gibbs seemed happy with their new work space. He sent Abby and Jon off to find Dr Beckett, while he remained behind to review the video footage. Jon was more than happy to get out and explore the city. He was finding that the city's voice was becoming more of a background noise, like elevator music. He could ignore it if he wanted to, but when something caught his interest, it would sing loud and clear in his ear.

Abby and Jon wandered the hallways, their silent security escort trailing behind them. Abby was so excited about being in an alien city that she was skipping down the hallway. Jon could only grin at her antics and shake his head.

"Oh come on, Jon. You can't tell me this isn't the coolest place you have ever visited," Abby said bouncing up to yet another window that overlooked the city.

"Yes," he agreed. "This is definitely one of the coolest places I've been. Although…Disneyland could give it a run for its money." He stopped beside her and pointed out one arm of the city, "That could be Adventureland and over there…that building almost looks like Space Mountain…Hey…maybe Walt Disney was really an alien…"

She grinned at him and replied, "I don't think so…Besides, I don't see the tram that circles the whole park."

"Ah," Jon replied stepping away from the window and dragging Abby into one of the transporter units. "But, who needs the tram when you have the park map right here. All you have to do is press where you want to go and…viola. There you are."

"Really?"

"Yup. That one there will take us to the infirmary," he said pointing at one in particular.  
Abby grinned and quickly punched the indicated spot. The door closed just before their escort could hurry over to join them and they were whisked away to the infirmary. Abby was suitably impressed when the doors opened to reveal a completely different hallway that included the doorway to the infirmary.

"Very nice," she agreed. "Oh…look at this…" she said bouncing over to another sculpture with a dead tree intertwined in the framework.

"Yeah," he replied with little enthusiasm. It was probably much more impressive when the tree was still alive. "Come on. I bet the infirmary has more really cool gadgets, trinkets and gizmos."

Abby followed him over to the infirmary, still looking at the tree hopefully, "Do you think that's an alien tree? I mean…it so looks like a Ficus. Shouldn't it be…blue or something?"

Jon snorted. "I don't know…it could be alien. But…more likely it came from Earth. Remember, the Ancients came from Earth to here…so…" he waved his hand negligently at the tree.

Abby's eyes brightened, "I should get a sample and run some tests. I could cross compare the genus and species to see how the Ficus has evolved over the intervening 10,000 years…."

"Can I help you folks?" a soft Scottish accent interrupted her tangent.

They looked up to find the very man they were seeking. "Dr Beckett, I presume," Jon said as way of introduction while he extended his hand in greeting.

"I am. And you are?" Dr Beckett replied with a sad smile.

"Agent Jon O'Brian and Ms. Abby Sciuto with the NCIS team," Jon replied.

Dr Beckett automatically shook his hand as his mind tried to process who they were. "NCIS?...Oh, the ones looking into our lost lamb. Yes, well, welcome to my infirmary." He ushered them deeper into the infirmary and eventually set them down in his small office. "Now, what can I do for ye?"

"Dr Beckett," Abby started. "I've looked over all your reports and I have to say. Your research is absolutely brilliant."

"Yes, well…," Dr Beckett paled a bit as he looked down and away. "I'm not nearly that, lassie. Don't waste your admiration on me." He almost sounded more depressed than modest, and Jon wondered what could have shaken the doctor's confidence so badly.

Abby glanced at Jon before continuing. "I was looking at the reports you did on the wraith enzyme. The research is cutting edge. I was hoping we could talk about how you came to your conclusions."

Dr Beckett seemed to brighten a bit. "Ah yes, now that research I am more than a bit proud of. Let's see…" He pulled out a tablet computer and began sorting through the files until he pulled up the files on the enzyme. At that point, Jon tuned them out. He really didn't want to rehash the scientific side any more than he had to.

He was here to make sure Abby didn't run into any trouble, not to participate in a scientific discussion. He stood up and wandered back to the doorway of the office while Abby worked her magic on the Scottish doctor. Leaning casually on one of the hidden access panels, he began to listen to the background music of Atlantis.

-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG—SG

Col Caldwell sat in the hard uncomfortable chair and fidgeted. Gibbs continued to peruse the paper file while covertly observing the colonel's behavior. Finally, he closed the folder and folded his hands over it. He already knew everything it contained. But he had found that props often helped him focus the interview in the direction he wanted.

"Col Caldwell, do you know why I'm here?" Gibbs started abruptly.

"Yes. You're looking into Lt Ford's death," Caldwell replied easily.

Gibbs couldn't detect any uneasiness in the colonel. It appeared that the colonel had made peace with the lieutenant's death. Interesting. "And do you know why I specifically wanted to talk to you, Colonel?" Gibbs pushed in a more confrontational tone, trying to get an emotional reaction.

Col Caldwell gave him a wary smile. "I assume it's because I'm the Commander of the Daedalus and the author of several reports where the missing lieutenant was featured."

There it was. The colonel was uneasy about those reports or something in them. "Yes. Perhaps you can shed some light on some of the more vague areas of these reports…" he pushed. Gibbs pulled out the first report the colonel had filed detailing the recovery of the lieutenant and his subsequent escape from the city. "In this report, you quite clearly list the details of the lieutenant's recovery and escape." Gibbs pulled out the second report, "But in this report, you not only list the details of the encounter with Lt Ford, you made very specific recommendations about Colonel Sheppard's ability to lead the military contingent of this expedition. What changed between these reports? What did Sheppard do to lose your confidence?"

Gibbs pushed the reports towards the colonel while watching for his reaction. Colonel Caldwell reached forward and thumbed absently through the two reports without really looking at them. Regret and shame coloring his face as he remembered the events. Very interesting.

Colonel Caldwell sighed and looked up at Gibbs. "A lot changed in that month." The colonel tapped the first report, "This was a rescue mission. My ship went to Atlantis with one mission, to save the city and as many of the expedition members as possible. And…together…we succeeded." Caldwell looked down at the second report before reluctantly tapping it, "But this one…I regret ever writing this one."

The colonel leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms protectively across his chest. "When we returned to Earth after the battle, the IOA had to appoint yet another military commander to Atlantis, since Colonel Everett was no longer fit for active duty. After some debate, I was selected as the new Atlantis military commander. But Dr Weir refused to accept anyone but Sheppard. When it was pointed out that the duties and responsibilities of the military commander were above the rank of Major…well, Dr Weir just demanded that they promote Sheppard. She convinced General O'Neill and he supported her decision. She essentially forced the IOA's hand and they weren't happy about it."

Caldwell sighed and looked Gibbs directly in the eye as he continued. "I was angry. I felt that I had earned the command and that Dr Weir's politics were robbing me of my chance…" He gave a short snort, "I was an ass. I dismissed Sheppard's year in command as random luck. I criticized his security protocols without trying to understand why they were in place. I saw Sheppard's short and troubled history with authority instead of his clear leadership skills. I'm ashamed to say that I let my anger color my opinion and I aggravated an already difficult situation."

"What happened?" Gibbs prompted, intrigued by the colonel's confession.

"After being denied the Atlantis command, the IOA asked me to conduct a military review of LtCol Sheppard's actions. Looking back, I can see that it wasn't the IOA's place to make that request and that they should have gone through General O'Neill before they came to me…but at the time…at the time I was so angry that I welcomed the opportunity to lash out at Sheppard.” He gave another dry chuckle, "Of course, in my mind at the time, I was just ensuring that the Atlantis team had the best military leader. But looking back, I can honestly say that I never gave Sheppard a fair shake those first few months." Caldwell shook off the memories and then smiled at Gibbs, "But I CAN set the record straight now."

Caldwell took a deep breath before starting the story. "Lt Ford picked the worst possible time to escape. We had just returned from battle with a fleet of hive ships. The Daedalus was seriously damaged and we had to land on the pier for repairs. Dr Weir was monitoring the incoming wraith fleet and evacuating as many of the expedition members as possible. We were able to evacuate all but a skeleton crew to another world and hoped that Dr McKay's crazy idea of cloaking the city would work."

"The fleet arrived and McKay set off the nuke trying to simulate a self-destruct and then he activated the cloak. My crew was on standby…ready to beam the remaining Atlantis expedition members to the ship for a quick escape, if McKay's plan failed. The Daedalus was too damaged to stand and fight. And right in the middle of holding our breath and praying the cloak held, Lt Ford made his escape. He caught us all by surprise when he activated the Stargate. Even after it shut down we kept praying that the wraith had missed the power signature of the active Stargate. The cloak held and the wraith fleet left. Later, I heard that Sheppard had tried to capture the lieutenant before he made it to the jumper bay and barely missed him. I remember feeling sorry for him at the time for having to hunt one of his men." Col Caldwell lapsed into silence as he recalled that feeling.

Gibbs sat with his arms crossed, absorbing the story. He let the quiet hum of the city surround them as he considered his next move. He decided to push the colonel. His guilt might reveal something more sinister. "So, did you agree with Sheppard's decisions? Do you think that his relationship with the lieutenant made him hesitate before taking that shot?"

Gibbs watched anger and outrage cross the colonel's face before the man was able to control it and seriously consider the questions. Gibbs saw the colonel struggle internally before finally giving a regretful sigh. "I do think that his relationship with the lieutenant colored his decisions, but I agree with his decisions. The expedition had gone through hell together the year that they were stranded here. You can't help but get close to the people who survived in hell with you. You just can't." The colonel paused, "Did it make him hesitate?...I don't know. Probably. If it was me…I don't think I could have taken the shot at all. Who am I to judge Sheppard in that kind of situation?" Caldwell said trying to defend Sheppard.

"And the second encounter with the changed lieutenant?" Gibbs asked gruffly.

Caldwell chuckled, losing some of his anger. "I didn't really play any part in the second encounter with Lt Ford. Oh, I tried to weasel my way onto the investigation, but all my information was second hand. Personally, I would disregard my report and only read the ones with firsthand experience of the incident."

"Are you saying that your report is inaccurate?" Gibbs said in an accusing tone, pushing at the colonel's guilt.

Caldwell just grinned. "No. It's just colored by the misconceptions of a second party observer."

Gibbs let the silence turn oppressive as he glared at the colonel. To his credit, Col Caldwell returned his gaze with his own calm stare. "What about the third encounter?" Gibbs pressed.

"I never actually saw the lieutenant that time either. The Daedalus was sent to the coordinates to rescue SGA-1 and we failed to get a lock on any of the team members. I watched the two hive ships begin their attack on us before turning on each other. Nothing survived the exploding hive ships, not even the darts that were flying in near proximity to us. Sheppard was lucky to escape through the Stargate when he did. One moment longer and we would have lost SGA-1 as well as the lieutenant," Caldwell said sounding sure of his answer.

Gibbs nodded and abruptly stood up startling the colonel. Good. He wanted him off balance. Gibbs began to stalk around the room, moving out of the colonel's line of sight. "Obviously, your opinion of LtCol Sheppard has changed since you wrote that report…what do you think of him as a commander now?"

Col Caldwell's spine stiffened and he tried to turn and follow Gibbs with his eyes as he considered his answer. "I think that LtCol Sheppard has potential…a lot of potential. He needs to mature as a military leader and has a few issues with chain of command and protocol, but…" Caldwell stopped trying to watch Gibbs and chuckled as he leaned back in his chair relaxing. "…Sheppard has a gift when it comes to motivating the diverse members of this expedition. His leadership style is unorthodox at the best of times, but it works. His teams and the scientists here are loyal to both Dr Weir and Sheppard to a fault. They would follow them into the jaws of death, if asked. You have to earn that kind of loyalty. Looking back, I understand why Dr Weir refused to accept another military commander to replace Sheppard and I honestly don't think another more conventional officer would be nearly as effective as LtCol Sheppard has been."

Gibbs gave a derisive snort. "Another member of his fan club?" he mocked, pushing at the colonel's pride. "And what did he do to earn your loyalty?"

Caldwell flushed angrily but didn't rise to the bait. "He saved my life and my sanity."

Gibbs raised an eyebrow at the bald statement but didn't break the silence that followed. He knew that Caldwell would feel the need to justify his statement and fill the quiet on his own.  
Visibly steeling himself, Caldwell started to relay his story. "Almost a year ago, I was taken host by a goa'uld. I was trapped in my own mind as the parasite planned and executed the destruction of Atlantis. The whole time I was a host, I kept expecting my crew and the other expedition members to notice the arrogance of the goa'uld. I kept waiting for them to take me aside and point out how out of character my behavior was. It never happened. They discovered that I was the goa'uld only because of the computer logs."

Caldwell stopped and took a shuddering breath. "After…after the goa'uld was taken into custody, Sheppard never left my side. He escorted the goa'uld to the Tok'ra homeworld. He stood by my side as the Tok'ra removed it. He was the first person I saw under my own power. He apologized to me for not finding the goa'uld sooner…for not figuring it out sooner." He closed his eyes and took a deep cleansing breath. "I've spent a lot of time reflecting on my past actions and I can honestly say that I was just as arrogant as that goa'uld. I never gave Sheppard a fair chance until after I was myself once more. Since then, I have seen a fair and compassionate military leader. Honestly, I don't care if you believe me or not. I'm sure you'll come to that conclusion yourself eventually. I just hope you don't have to get there the same way that I did."

Gibbs stopped his measured pacing around the room and turned back to the colonel with a questioning look. He could see how much the story had affected the colonel. He had what he needed and didn't see a reason to twist the knife. Finally, he nodded to himself. "That's all for now, Colonel. Thank you for being so forthcoming," he said in a surprisingly compassionate tone while holding out his hand.

"It's my pleasure," the colonel replied surprised by Gibbs' gesture. He accepted the handshake. "I'll be in orbit for the next two days if you need anything else from me or my crew." Col Caldwell slowly pushed up from his seat and made his way out of the interview room.

Gibbs waited a moment as he considered what he had learned. Abruptly, he stalked back to the team's lab. He wanted to look over the videos of the lieutenant's escape one more time before his interview the Dr Weir. He glanced at his watch and found that he should have plenty of time to see what he needed.

-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG

Chapter 11 – Doctor Weir's Interview

Jon had spent most of the morning trying to find LtCol Sheppard. The man was elusive. However, chance intervened and Jon was able to pinpoint the colonel's location by overhearing a few of the Marines returning from the gym. Apparently, LtCol Sheppard was taking his frustrations out on the defenseless punching bag.

Jon quickly changed into workout gear and headed to the gym. He easily spotted the colonel in the corner and decided to use try a casual approach. Jon spent several minutes stretching near the colonel while watching the Athosians train several Marines in stick fighting.

"Wow," Jon remarked offhandedly to Sheppard as Teyla executed a particularly difficult move. "She's pretty good," he said stealing a glance at the colonel.

Sheppard sent him a glare before renewing his assault on the heavy bag. Jon rolled his eyes at the obvious display of hostility before turning his attention back to the stick fighting. He finished his stretches just as the Marines finished their training and left. Jon walked right up to woman with a big smile on his face.

"That was a very impressive display of skill, Ma'am," he greeted her trying to play up his youthful looks and enthusiasm.

She considered him for a moment as she toweled the sweat from her face. "Thank you…" she paused significantly.

"Oh…I'm sorry. Ma'am. My mother would tan my hide for such a poor display of manners." Jon smiled contritely and extended his hand. "Jon O'Brien, Ma'am. I'm here with the NCIS team. And I am very pleased to make your acquaintance."

She returned his smile as his boyish charm started to work on her. "Teyla Emmagan of the Athosians." She accepted his hand with a firm grip as she assessed him more carefully. "Would you care to spar?" she asked gesturing to the sticks piled nearby.

Jon chuckled, "I'm afraid that I would be no match for your skill. While I have some small skill with a bo, I have never tried to master the tonfa."

"The what?" she asked confused.

"Your batons or sticks. They are called tonfa in taekwondo," he said still grinning.

She returned his grin. "Then perhaps it is time you began to learn," she challenged her eyes alight with good humor.

"It would be my pleasure, Ma'am," he teased back and immediately scooped up a pair of sticks.

Teyla spent the next few minutes showing him how to properly hold the sticks and walking him through several techniques before coaching him through a few simple forms. Before long she was testing his forms and techniques against her own set of sticks. The whole time, Jon was acutely aware of LtCol Sheppard's scrutiny. Finally, she called a break.

"I am impressed," she said after taking a drink from a water bottle. "You learn very quickly."

"Thanks. Although, I'm sure my sensei would disagree. He is always telling me how slow I am." Jon took another sip of water.

Teyla smiled at him. "So what do you think of Atlantis so far?" she asked him.

"It's amazing," he replied with false enthusiasm. "The people have been great so far…well, most people have," he said glancing briefly at the colonel still in his quiet corner of the room.  
Teyla's smile faded and she also glanced at Sheppard. "That's good," she replied trying to deflect attention away from Sheppard. "There are many good people here."

"Yes, there are," Jon said in a conversational tone. "I can see why Lt Ford was so proud of this place and the people stationed here." Jon covertly watched as both Sheppard and Teyla froze at the mention of the lieutenant. Pretending to be oblivious to their discomfort, he continued. "He talked quite extensively about the people he worked with in his letters home. He never mentioned specifics, but you could tell that he was honored to serve here with everyone."

Teyla shook off her shock first and she slowly turned away and placed her water bottle on the ground to mask her emotions. Sheppard was staring hard at the heavy bag, seemingly unable to move.

"Aiden was a good friend," Teyla said softly. "I still miss him."

Teyla's words seemed to prod Sheppard into action. He started to angrily beat at the heavy bag with a series of rapid punches. Jon nodded to himself. They both were obviously still grieving for the lieutenant, even after all this time.

"Do you think he could have survived?" Jon asked, with feigned innocence.

Teyla sucked in a breath and looked over at the colonel again. Sheppard's face was a hard mask. He was so focused on beating the heavy bag that he seemed oblivious to their scrutiny.  
Teyla finally looked back at Jon with concern, "Some of us think that he could have survived. But most of us have accepted that he is lost to us."

Jon nodded solemnly in response. "Yeah. Well, it's been nice meeting you. Thanks for teaching me."

Teyla gave him a tentative smile. "You are welcome. I hope we can have another lesson before you leave."

Jon returned her smile. "I hope so too." Jon set the sticks back in their corner and waved to her as he left the room. He stopped out of sight in the hallway and listened.

"You know, Teyla, he was just probing for information," the gruff voice of LtCol Sheppard said in between thuds on the heavy bag.

"Yes, John. I know. His job is to find the truth, is it not?" Teyla replied.

Sheppard snorted in disbelief and the thuds stopped. "No, it's not. His job is to find a scapegoat to dump all the blame on." The thuds resumed.

"You believe that they will blame you," Teyla said quietly.

"Yeah." Thud. Thud. Thud. "They did it before…" Thud. "When Holland…" Sheppard stopped abruptly.

"You did nothing wrong, John," she said trying to reassure him.

"Didn't I?" Thud. "I had him in my sights, Teyla. Twice…" Sheppard replied angrily. Thud. Thud. Thud. "I let him get away…"

"John…" Teyla said forcefully.

"No, Teyla. It's better this way," he said in a resigned voice, his anger dissipating slowly.

"So, you're giving up then," Teyla accused.

Sheppard chuckled softly, "Hell, no. You know that I can't do anything the easy way. They'll have to drag me away kicking and screaming," he joked softly.

"But they will drag you away," Teyla stated in a disbelieving tone.

Sheppard let out a quiet resigned sigh. "Yeah. Probably."

Jon listened a few moments longer before he stalked away quietly. He thought about what he had learned from the two members of SGA-1. He understood Sheppard far too well. A commander's guilt of a failed mission. The loss of someone under your command. Sheppard's pain and anger was far too easy to understand. Jon let out a huff of air as he entered the team's lab, ready to brief Gibbs on what he had found.

-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG

"Elizabeth, there you are," McKay said coming to an abrupt halt in front of Dr. Weir waving his portable computer at her.

Dr Weir gave him a wan smile as she recognized his expression. He only wore it when Sheppard had been threatening him or the computer refused to accept his genius. "Yes, Rodney. I was just on my way to a meeting."

"It can wait," he declared, absently. "We've got a problem."

Weir sighed. Rodney was great at bringing problems to her attention. Hopefully, this time the problem didn't involve their imminent deaths. She fixed him with her fake smile and nodded for him to continue.

"Okay," he started. "I was working late in my lab when the lights started to go haywire, then the air conditioner, and then computer monitors. At first, I thought it was a large scale problem, but then I was able to track down a computer unaffected by the power fluctuations…"

"Rodney!" Weir interrupted.

"The…uh…anomaly seems to be following me," McKay summarized.

Okay, maybe she stopped him too soon. "What anomaly?"

"The one causing the power fluctuations," he replied with a slightly panicked look. "Look, I know this sounds crazy, but watch." McKay walked up to the light switch and turned the light off in the hallway and walked away. Seconds after he turned around, the hall lights came back on. "Now, you do it," he said as he gestured to the light switch.

Shaking her head, she complied and turned the hall lights off again. This time they stayed off. They waited for a minute but nothing else happened. When McKay tried to turn them back on, the switch repeated its performance. She had to admit that it was weird.

"See. I can't get any work done. The computer reverses every command I enter just seconds after I enter it," McKay whined.

Weir nodded sympathetically. She could see how frustrating that would be. "When did this start?"

McKay blushed. "Last night," he said evasively, piquing her interest. She gave him her firmest look and he caved. "Alright, it started when those agents came by. I…I was talking to that scary girl when all hell started breaking loose."

Uh huh. "Rodney," she started. "What did you…" She stopped and thought better of a better question to ask. "How wide spread is this?"

"Uh…I think it's limited to just me. I've asked all of my staff and the technicians in the gateroom. None of them are having problems…at least, not until I tried something. But it stopped as soon as I left the area." McKay blushed again.

"Any ideas about what might be causing this?" she asked.

McKay seemed to pale and then looked at his feet. "Um…maybe…"

Weir waited in the following silence before letting out an exasperated, "Well?"

McKay mumbled something under his breath.

Weir was just about at the end of her patience. "What was that, Rodney?"

He blushed again. "I might have been cursed."

Of all the possible longwinded explanations she had expected, that brief admission wasn't one of them. "Cursed?"

"Yeah…I might have said something a wee bit inappropriate to that agent girl…and she just might have cursed me until I apologize…She didn't tell me she was a witch," he groused in an embarrassed tone.

"Agent Sciuto did this? How?" Weir asked completely flabbergasted.

"I don't know. If I knew, I could fix it. She didn't touch anything. She just looked at me with her angry eyes and told me to apologize or else." He said waving the computer about.

"Or else what?" Weir asked.

"She didn't say…But when I refused to take it back…that's when the computer started to go nuts."

Weir let out a frustrated sigh as the McKay induced headache started. "So it is likely a coincidence that she was angry at you at the exact moment the computer glitch turns up."

"NO!" McKay stated firmly. "Well…okay…maybe," he relented as she glared at him. "But I'm sure it's her."

Weir glanced at her watch and winced. She was late for her interview. Great. "Rodney, just take care of it. If apologizing will fix it, then go apologize. Just…fix it."

"But…" he whined.

"NOW, Rodney!" she said over her should as she stormed off to the room set aside for the interviews.

-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG

Gibbs was patiently waiting in the interview room watching the beauty of Atlantis out of the window when Dr Weir arrived looking both angry and frustrated. He was curious about her late arrival, but careful not to show it. He would have bet money that she would arrive early to make a good impression. Seeing her frustration, he had no doubt that she had intended to arrive early, but had been delayed. He knew that he would have to handle her differently than Caldwell. He doubted that a confrontational approach would work. She was a negotiator and a politician. He had to convince her that answering was in the best interests of the expedition. Gibbs really hated taking the soft approach. It was always so…messy.

Dr Weir sat primly in her chair and set out her notes before she finally meet his eyes. She gave him a pained smile before apologizing. "I'm sorry. I was delayed on my way."

"Nothing of galactic importance, I hope," he replied indifferently as he casually took his seat across from her.

Weir let out a frustrated huff. "No."

Gibbs barely suppressed grinning at her response. "Good. Let's get started then." Gibbs leaned back casually. "Tell me about Lt Ford's rescue and his subsequent escape."

"I'm sure you've read my report. It's all there," she said aloofly.

Gibbs watched her closely. He had to admit, she was very good at masking her true feelings. He hadn't expected to hit her defensive walls so soon. He knew that he more he pushed the more stubborn she would get.

"No. The facts are there. I know the facts. What I don't know is how those facts affected you and your decisions at the time," he related trying to show her an open face. It was more difficult than he remembered. He usually sent Ziva in to play this role.

She leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. "You can't bully me into changing my reports," she declared defiantly.

Gibbs gave her a soft understanding smile. "I know. I wouldn't dream of trying to force your hand." He leaned in and rested his hands on the table. "I understand how hard this is for you. I know that you've became close to your whole team, including Lt Ford. That everyone on this expedition is very important to you. I'm just trying to understand what happened so I can reassure Lt Ford's family. Please, tell me what happened. I just want to hear it in your own words."

Weir watched him with interest as if weighing his motives before finally giving him a curt nod. "At the time, I was worried about Aiden and his team. We lost contact with them during the first attack," she looked down and checked her notes. "After we had secured the city, we were trying to locate the wounded and dead. Aiden was neither dead nor wounded. We couldn't even find him using the lifesign detector. John…LtCol Sheppard…" she clarified, "…expanded the search to include the sea and suddenly we had found him and he was alive. I was relieved. I immediately contacted the Daedalus and had him transported to the infirmary." She fixed Gibbs with a penetrating gaze, "My relief was replaced with horror when I found out what had happened to him."

She released a shuddering breath as she relived the memory. "At first he seemed fine. Insisting that he be allowed back to work…And then he attacked Carson. He felt so bad about losing control." She paused, collecting her thoughts. "Carson was worried about Aiden and the affects the enzyme was having on his brain functions. I think that we may have tried to wean him off of it too quickly…or we were already too late to help him." She glanced back down at her notes before continuing. "Carson told us of his escape as we were preparing to receive the rest of the wraith fleet. John tried to reason with him, but Aiden…he was just too far gone. John set out after him, hoping to reach him before it was too late."

"When was this?" Gibbs asked softly.

She glanced back down at her notes, "Shortly before Rodney detonated the warhead."

Gibbs nodded. It matched his timeline. "What happened next?"

"Rodney detonated the nuke over the city and then switched the shield to a cloak. The Stargate dialed just as John rushed into the control room. But we were too late. The Stargate activated and Aiden left without saying another word. We tried to track him, but we just couldn't find him."

"Why did you just send LtCol Sheppard? Why not send a whole security team?" he asked, trying not to sound confrontational.

She glanced up quickly. "Because I didn't have one," she snapped. "The Athosians and the majority of the expedition had evacuated to the Alpha site. The Daedalus was too busy trying to repair its systems in case those of us that remained behind needed a quick extraction. The only security personnel I could spare had already been guarding Aiden in the infirmary." She paused significantly and let out a disgusted snort. "I didn't even want John to go after him. Not with the wraith poised to attack." She guiltily looked into his eyes. "I didn't think he was threat…I was wrong."

Gibbs nodded reassuringly. "I doubt you could have known what he planned. By all accounts, Lt Ford was not in his right mind."

"No, but it would be easier to understand if he had been completely irrational…not…not quite so reasonable…so understandable." Tears threatened to fall as she took a deep breath to control the emotional surge. Methodically, she clasped her hands on the table and straightened as she regained control.

"What about the next time your teams encountered the lieutenant?" Gibbs continued after she had pulled herself back together.

"Just over a month later, we found our first sign that Aiden was still alive. Maj Lorne had found a dead wraith that had been killed by our weapons. I sent SGA-1 and SGA-2 back to the planet to see if they could find Aiden and bring him home." She sighed and clenched her hands together. "But it didn't play out that way. First, I was informed that John and Teyla went missing and then Rodney. Eventually, John made contact and requested that Carson come and help a new ally. But the next time they reported in, Aiden had tried to kill Rodney, was shot by John, and escaped us by allowing the wraith to take him captive." She let out a long breath. "It was a rollercoaster ride and in the end, I'm just glad that I didn't lose anyone else. I missed Aiden and wanted him home, but not at the cost of others," she said before lapsing into silence.

Gibbs let them sit in the quiet for a few moments, pretending to scratch a few notes. He finally looked up, drawing her attention back to the present. "Do you think you're your teams did everything possible was done to recover the lieutenant?" he asked, trying to appear uneasy about having to ask the question. This was the line that he hated about the soft approach; How to push without appearing to push. He preferred the more honest, if confrontational approach.

Weir looked at him closely, trying once again to read into his motives. "Yes, I do."

He gave her a small crooked smile as he nodded, as if in approval. But honestly, he didn't expect another answer. "And the last time you encountered Lt Ford?"

She shook her head slowly as if trying to deny the last time. "I was on Atlantis the whole time. All I really knew for sure was that SGA-1 was missing, possibly taken prisoner. It wasn't until Rodney stumbled through the gate several days later that we found out about Aiden's involvement and it was another 48 hours before Rodney was well enough to pass on his information. I immediately sent the Daedalus to try and beam them off of the wraith hive ship, but the Daedalus was too late."

She chuckled dryly. "In fact, I had just received Col Caldwell's message that they had been unable to recover the team when John dialed the Stargate with Ronan and Teyla in tow. He has always had the most impeccable timing."

"But they still didn't have Lt Ford?" Gibbs asked absently.

"No. John was the last to see Aiden alive on the hive ship. Aiden was covering their escape." Her smile faded to a wince, "John still believes that Aiden is alive. He fought me when I wanted to change his status to killed-in-action. We eventually compromised and listed him as missing but presumed dead."

Gibbs leaned back once more, "Why do you think he believes that?"

"Playing psychologist now, Agent Gibbs?" Weir teased, with a grin.

Gibbs smiled crookedly. "Maybe."

"Well, then, he believes it because that is who he is. John…John is perhaps the most positive person I know. He will refuse to believe that Aiden is dead until he sees his body." She looked up at Gibbs again considering. "Perhaps that's why he is so against this investigation."

Gibbs conceded her point with a nod. "Or perhaps it's because he almost lost his career the last time he was involved in this kind of investigation," Gibbs pointed out.

"Yes," she agreed. "That certainly isn't helping."

"Is there anything else you can add about the lieutenant or the others on his team?" Gibbs asked absently as he scratched a few more fake notes on his pad.

"About Aiden, no. The others will come around…" she chuckled as she recalled McKay's latest 'problem'. "Although, Rodney should be a fun interview." She grinned as she took in Gibbs' questioning look. "He thinks that your Agent Sciuto has cursed him."

"What? Abby? Where would he get that idea?" Gibbs asked, surprised.

"I'm not totally sure, but it should be fun to find out. Don't you think?" Weir rose from her seat with a genuine smile on her face. "Let me know if you need anything, Agent Gibbs," she said extending her hand.

Gibbs rose with her and took her hand, not totally surprised that Weir had taken control of the interview at the end. She needed to take back control from him in order to resume command once she left. "I will, Dr Weir. I'll let you know what I find before I return to Earth." Gibbs released her hand and scooped up his notes before gesturing her to precede him out of the room. Man he hated the soft touch…at least he wouldn't have to use it for Sheppard's interview. No, that would require a whole new approach.

-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG

Ten minutes later, Gibbs sat and watched as LtCol Sheppard stalked angrily into the interview room. He had expected nothing less after Jon's report this morning. The colonel stood over the table glaring at Gibbs before slamming a copy of his official reports on the table. Gibbs didn't bother to react to Sheppard's display or even to glance at the abused paperwork. Instead he continued to intently watch the colonel with his most passive face. It was a simple contest of wills and Gibbs had nothing to hide.

Abruptly, LtCol Sheppard looked away. He paused only a moment before retreating from the room. Gibbs gave a cryptic smile before collecting his paperwork and returning to the lab where his team was waiting. It looks like they would have extra time to prepare for the next interview. He'd let LtCol Sheppard simmer for a day or two before trying something else.

-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG—SG

Chapter 12-Doctor McKay's Interview

Gibbs pushed back thoughts of how best to reach LtCol Sheppard as he headed back to the team's lab. Instead, he pulled up the image of Abby hexing his next interviewee and chuckled quietly. He had no doubt that Abby and Jon were responsible for the prank as he decided how best to address the issue.

Abby had always been more like a daughter to him than a co-worker. Her presence had filled a part of the void left by his wife and daughter. He liked to think that his daughter would have grown up to be as caring and brilliant as Abby. But for all the naive innocence Abby displayed, she could, and frequently would, seek retribution if someone crossed her. From what he had read about Dr McKay, the man frequently rubbed people the wrong way by belittling their intelligence. And that was not something Abby would tolerate.

Jon was still an enigma. The kid presented such a self-effacing front that even knowing what lurked beneath the youthful face, Gibbs found it hard not to believe the mask. Gibbs was constantly reminding himself that under that innocent face lurked a Special Ops tactical genius. He had read the President's unofficial file on Jon. The one that listed all the training he had received before and after he was created. Bringing Jon as his backup was like bringing a bazooka to a knife fight. But in many ways, for all his training, Jon still displayed an uncharacteristic modesty in his skill and an unfailing loyalty to his people. A loyalty that was inherited from the original O'Neill. A loyalty that didn't exclude childish pranks against annoying scientists.

In retrospect, Gibbs had unintentionally setup Dr McKay to fail spectacularly. Abby and Jon individually would have been trouble for McKay. But together… yeah, no need to bet on a sure thing. Time to rein them in.

Gibbs stalked back into the team's lab, his smirk suppressed. Hiding his amusement behind a grim expression, he walked in and glared at Abby and Jon. "Would either of you care to explain why Dr McKay is under the impression that YOU…" he nodded towards Abby, "…have CURSED him?" he ended with his arms crossed over his chest as he looked them over.

Predictably, Jon leaned back with a smile and rested his hands behind his head. "Does he?"  
Gibbs continued to glare at the kid while containing his amusement at the audacity and scope of their prank. His only response was to cock his head to one side and maintain his stony silence.

"Um…yeah," Abby started with shamed look. "About that…I…um…we…we may have left Dr. McKay with that impression." She blushed and looked away guiltily.

"And…" Gibbs motioned.

"And what?" Abby asked with a frown. "He tried to grab my…well, I didn't think that a little bit of inconvenience was too much of a punishment. Especially, when he SO deserved it." She gave Gibbs her angry eyes, but he could see a hint of the smirk she was trying to hide. So much for Abby feeling guilty over the prank.

"What kind of inconvenience?" Gibbs asked as he glared at Jon.

Jon didn't even bother to hide his amusement. "The kind that automatically reverses any computer command from a specific bio-signature. The kind that the oh-so-humble genius has to ask for help to fix."

"Right... I am not amused," Gibbs replied flatly. "Undo it now."

Jon's smirk widened without a hint of remorse. "Sure thing, Boss." He casually placed one hand on the access panel and after a moment of silent concentration, he pulled back. "All done."

Gibbs gave them both a final glare before letting his face soften. "No more messing with the computer system, unless I order you. Got it?"

"Yes, Sir." Jon replied quickly with a sloppy salute.

"Sure thing, Gibbs." Abby said with a perky smile.

Gibbs nodded. Good thing they were on his side. "Now, tell me about Dr. Rodney McKay."

-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG—SG

Gibbs watched as Dr McKay entered the interview room with a distracted and hesitant air. He almost cracked a smile as McKay cleared the room with his eyes before letting out his breath and moving towards the table and chair.

"I…um… I guess, I'm your next interview," McKay started in a slightly unsure tone.

"Sit," Gibbs ordered with a slight glare.

McKay promptly sat and began to examine the table and the room distractedly. "So… ah… what…?"

Gibbs abruptly leaned forward, cutting McKay off. "Tell me about Lt Ford," he demanded when McKay started to fidget in his seat.

"Ford?...ah… Yes, well, Ford was… before his… before the enzyme, Ford was… well…Ford, I guess. He was able to do what needed to be done, without all the fanfare. He was loyal and stuff… I guess…" McKay rambled. "He was really good in a fight…" he added as an afterthought.

Gibbs mentally changed tactics. He had been expecting an arrogant scientist; someone who was certain that only they held the answers and couldn't be bothered to explain them to others. He had expected the man that had blustered in the incident reports. But the man before him was neither arrogant nor certain. His plan to bulldog the scientist into talking wasn't going to work. Perhaps a slightly more gentle line of questioning would yield the same results. McKay wouldn't need the same tactics he had used with Dr Weir. Gibbs wouldn't use kid gloves on the scientist, but he didn't need pushing so much as someone to keep him on task.

Gibbs cleared his throat and gave McKay a pained look. "Perhaps I should have been clearer. Tell me about Lt Ford's disappearance."

"Which time?" McKay asked confused.

Gibbs slowly leaned back staring at the scientist without responding.

"I'll…I'll just… ah…go with the last time…" McKay said quietly. "Um… Well, we were setup and Ford kidnapped us, drugged us… well, except for Sheppard… and then he sent everyone but me off on a suicide mission. And you wouldn't believe what I had to do to escape… I mean, the guards were these two HUGE guys with muscles out to here. And they were so not cooperating in letting me go. So using my superior intellect, I cunningly devised a plan to steal the DHD control crystals back from them by using a bit of the wraith enzyme… and it worked like a charm. Those two cretins didn't even see it coming. I kicked their ass and then gated back to Atlantis… after that it gets a bit fuzzy. But since I nearly died and all, that's to be expected…"

"MCKAY!" Gibbs had to shout to get the scientist's attention. "Let's focus on Ford."

"Oh… okay. At first, Ford was friendly, upbeat, and he scared the hell out me. He's telling us how we are all still friends, and about how he's setup this Wraith Resistance group. Then he lets on that they are all taking the enzyme and were better for it… He was trying really hard to convince us that the enzyme was the key to defeating the Wraith. And… and all I could see was an addict hyping his drug of choice..." McKay paused and sighed softly before continuing. "Anyway, they captured a bunch of Wraith drones and were using them as a… a way to produce more of the enzyme. I mean, I don't like anything that thinks of me as food, but to keep them chained up and just stick needles in them… Creepy." McKay visibly blanched and shuddered as he recalled the image. He took a deep breath and continued. "That's when Ford drops his little bombshell about the drugged food. I swear, I get itchy just thinking about that damn enzyme." McKay absently scratched at his arms. "But for all that he had us trapped on his planet, he didn't really treat us badly… well, besides the drugging-kidnapping thing. Ford waited long enough for us to be hooked on the drug and then let us in on his master plan; the real reason he kidnapped us."

McKay took a deep breath and long drink of water before continuing. "He wanted Sheppard to fly a broken down Dart into an active hive ship with the rest of the infiltration crew trapped in the capture beam buffer. They would fly in and blow up the hive ship and fly out again in the buffer. But, he couldn't do it without Sheppard. He needed a real pilot… and he had decided that he trusted Sheppard enough to be that pilot… He was completely insane. The enzyme had taken away what little brains he had from before. Luckily, even on the enzyme, I had enough brains to spare. I cobbled together an interface for Sheppard to use on the Dart and repaired enough of the systems to make it space worthy. I protested the soundness of the mission, but… but, they went anyway…" McKay went quiet. "I didn't see them again until after they made it back to Atlantis. For awhile there, I… I didn't think I would see them again. And of course, Ford was missing… again." McKay sighed softly as he fell quiet, remembering.

Gibbs was surprised by the scientist's last comments. "Do you think Lt Ford is still alive?"

"Huh?" McKay responded as he was drawn back from his thoughts. "Oh… um, no. I looked at the footage from the Daedalus. I don't know how Sheppard survived the resulting explosions. Ford wasn't a pilot. He could get the puddlejumpers to do what he wanted. But Sheppard did any of the real piloting when… that first year… No, Ford flying an unmodified Dart and leaving LATER than Sheppard… no. I don't see how he could have survived."

McKay seemed to hesitate before continuing. "I like to think it's over. I mean, Ford tried to kill me. He wanted to kill me on P3M-736. He would have succeeded if Ronan and Sheppard hadn't arrived when they did. He never had much use for me before… unless it was to pull some miracle out of my ass… or to serve as a hostage for my team mates good behavior… I know! He was my team mate. I spent a year trusting him with my life. But… I'll never forget the look in his eyes as he got ready to pull the trigger. And… and this may make me a horrible person, but I want him to be dead… so that it will be over. I hate that about myself, but there it is all the same… And some small part of me is afraid that he DID survive and he is out there waiting… and next time, I won't survive." McKay turned a grim horrified expression to Gibbs. "So while I don't think he could have survived, a part of me knows that if ANYONE could have survived, it would be Ford… and that thought terrifies me."

Gibbs nodded carefully. He hadn't thought that Dr McKay would open up quite that much. The insight gained from the interview was a far cry from the verbal shield that the man used in his reports. That this man would trust him with this kind of admission spoke volumes about the person hiding under the persona he portrayed.

"Thank you, Dr McKay. You've given me quite a bit to think about." Gibbs slowly extended his hand to the scientist.

McKay took his hand with a confused expression. "Of course. Well, I'll just… be going now."

"Of course," Gibbs replied and gestured to the door.

McKay rose slowly, as if in a daze, and started for the doorway.

"Oh, Dr McKay?" Gibbs replied with lopsided grin.

"Yes?" McKay asked, pausing his retreat.

"I've had a nice long chat with Abby. You shouldn't have any more problems with the Atlantis computers." Gibbs watched the man's mind change gears.

"Oh?...Oh!...Um, thanks. I… I've got a ton of work to do on the Wraith cruiser system interface and…" McKay started back out the doorway and Gibbs eventually lost track of him as his voice drifted off into the distance.

-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG—SG

Chapter 13-Teyla's Interview

Gibbs watched his next interviewee enter the room with a quiet grace. She walked confidently up to him and extended her hand.

"I am Teyla Emmagan of the Athosians." She gave him a small smile as she shook his hand.

"Special Agent Gibbs," he replied politely. "Did Dr. Weir explain why we're doing this interview?"

Teyla nodded. "Yes, but I would appreciate your explanation as well. Elizabeth said that you are here to find information on Aiden for his family, but John… Colonel Sheppard disagrees. He is under the impression that you are on a… 'witch hunt' was the phrase he used."

Gibbs wasn't quite sure where to start with this woman… this 'alien' woman. Her reports were clearly written and detailed, but hadn't seem to display the personality of the person writing them. They felt too formal. However, watching her as she approached, he could see that he had misread the personality in the reports. This woman matched the formal, confident tone he had identified. Perhaps it was her perspective that was throwing him off. As an alien human working closely with the Earth humans, she would see events from a slightly different angle… And that difference might be enough to help.

"Alright." Gibbs nodded and gestured to the chair on the opposite side of the table. "Are you familiar with how Earth has deemed that all information about this expedition is 'classified'?" He asked first, trying to find common ground as a starting point.

"Yes. John has explained that few people on your planet are privy to knowledge of Atlantis." She said as she sat down. As she fixed her gaze on him, Gibbs was reminded of his Second Grade teacher and he resisted the urge to squirm a bit.

"Very few. I was unaware of this posting until I was selected to represent the lieutenant's family as their advocate. Lt Ford's family does not have clearance. I will review the facts of the case and to talk to everyone involved on behalf of the family, as their representative. When I'm done, I will go back to the lieutenant's family and tell them what I can about what happened; about how he lived, fought, and how he went missing. I'm not here to point fingers or place blame on anyone. This is not a criminal investigation," Gibbs stated firmly.

She slowly nodded her understanding. "Then you may ask your questions, Special Agent Gibbs."

Gibbs returned her smile, liking her elegant style. "What do you recall about the events after Lt Ford's behavior changed due to the Wraith enzyme?"

Teyla considered her answer before carefully explaining what she remembered from her encounter with the lieutenant in Dr Weir's office. Her words are almost an exact repetition of her reports. She had minimal contact with Ford in her encounters on both Atlantis and on P3M-736. The only time she had any prolonged contact with Ford after he had changed was when the lieutenant had taken them hostage.

Teyla stopped her narration and closed her eyes for a moment. "My mind was clouded for most of that last mission with Aiden. I knew that what I was doing was not right, but… I found it hard to care. While I was taking the drug, I agreed with Aiden. I understood him and his goals sounded reasonable. Now, free of the drug and its influence on my mind, I can see how flawed his plans were. How his plan to convince us was flawed.”

She turned back to Gibbs and looked him directly in the eyes. "Ultimately, Aiden wanted to prove himself… to us and your military, but mostly to Colonel Sheppard. With Colonel Sumner's death, John and Aiden were both thrust into positions that they were unprepared to take. Both of them succeeded in filling their new roles, but Aiden always felt that he had to prove himself, especially to John; to prove he was a worthy second in command. As a warrior, he had been tried and tested in one of your Earth battles. But as a leader he was untried, and he didn't trust himself. So, he looked to John. The drug amplified his feelings of insecurity. It turned his self-doubt to mistrust."

"Aiden was my friend and fought by my side as a fellow warrior. I owe him my life several times over. If there is a chance he is alive, I owe it to him and his family return him to his people." She looked down and her hands; clasped carefully in her lap. "However, I do not believe that Aiden escaped the destruction of the hive ships. I have mourned him as a fallen warrior and a lost friend."

"Do you believe that the lieutenant would have come home with you, if he had been able?" Gibbs asked carefully.

Teyla frowned thoughtfully. "No. As long as he was taking the drug, he would doubt his friends on Atlantis. It would cloud his judgment as it clouded mine. I know that John was able to talk to Aiden when the drug's influence had waned. Perhaps, if Aiden had not taken more of the drug, he would have followed the colonel to our cell and together we could have made our escape." Teyla looked up and smiled sadly, "But he did not and I am left to mourn my friend. I wish I could have done more for him… to convince him that we wanted him home… that he could trust us."

Gibbs briefly fought the urge to console her before uttering a quiet, "Thank you, Ms. Emmagan. That's all I have for now."

"Special Agent Gibbs?" Teyla asked politely as she rose from her seat.

"Yes?"

"Perhaps you could share your findings with Colonel Sheppard… to reassure him that he did everything possible," Teyla gave him a conservative, polite face.

Gibbs examined her closely as he considered her request. "Is there any particular reason I should do that?" He intended to share his findings with the Atlantis Command Staff, including LtCol Sheppard. But he was curious about the reasons.

Teyla ducked her head briefly. "Colonel Sheppard is a good man. Aiden's disappearance has been hard for him to accept. Perhaps… your report will allow him to mourn Aiden's loss."

Gibbs considered her for a moment longer and nodded his acceptance. "Very well."

"Thank you." Teyla bowed her head in thanks briefly, and left the room.

-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG—SG

Jon looked up as Gibbs entered the team's lab. Jon didn't think that Gibbs could look more frustrated. Considering that he had completed his interview with Teyla Emmagan and then followed it with Ronan Dex… well, dealing with aliens, even the human kind, could turn your perceptions sideways and give you a screaming headache. After all these years, Jon still couldn't tell when Teal'c was teasing him or being serious. "Hey, Boss. Fun interview?"

Gibbs send him a quick searing glance before making his way to the corner he had claimed as his work space and dropped the files he carried. "No."

Jon smirked. "You gotta love the aliens… They have no appreciation for subtext."

Jon heard a disgruntled snort as his only response.

"So… anything new?" Jon asked.

"No. Ms. Emmagan was very concise in her reports and Mr. Dex really didn't have much to do with the lieutenant, even on that last mission. He just followed Sheppard's lead and kicked ass when directed." Gibbs sat down and considered his next move. "No, what we really need is to get Sheppard to open up."

"What about Beckett?" Jon suggested.

"What about him? I watched the discussion between Abby and Dr Beckett. I'm confident that Abby understands his science and I didn't see anything that would warrant another interview. The doctor was open and honest about his findings and how he got them." Gibbs considered the information again. "No. I can't think of any follow up questions for him. Why?"

Jon reconsidered. "I was just thinking that he is the only member of the Atlantis Senior Staff that you haven't interviewed. And he seemed a bit… preoccupied by the failure of his retrovirus research when Abby and I went to visit him. "

"I noticed. But he perked up and focused on Abby and the enzyme research when they started to talk about his results." Gibbs shook his head, "No. That won't help us."

The door to the lab opened and Abby bounced in. "Gibbs, Johnny Boy!" she greeted them with a cheer. "I can't believe some of the cool stuff they have here. Man, this whole city is built out of cool stuff." She turned to Gibbs, "They have this alien gizmo that can sequence DNA in like 3 seconds flat. I'm serious, it is so cool. It can even cross reference DNA. I HAVE to have one."

Gibbs chuckled while Jon just smiled. "Sorry, Abs. But when we get back, you'll just have to settle for the human technology... Earth human," Gibbs qualified quickly.

"BUT GIBBS!" she whined.

Gibbs just gave her an amused shake of his head.

"Alright, but if something happens to end up in my luggage, it's not my fault." She said with a mischievous smile.

"Of course not," he replied evenly.

Jon was struck by the image of Walter going over her bags with an alien gizmo detector as Abby looked on innocently.

"That's it!" Jon suddenly leaned over his computer console and started opening one of the reports. "I knew we were missing something. It's been bugging me for ages." He hit a few more controls and started to scan Colonel Caldwell's report on the hive ship encounter.

Gibbs and Abby joined him at the computer. "What are we looking for?" Abby asked as she read the report over his shoulder.

Jon continued to scan the report as he absently responded. "Locator beacons. I remember reading about the Daedalus scanning the hive ship for the team's location for a beam out."

"Yeah. They couldn't get a lock through the Wraith countermeasures… Dr McKay said something about the frequency used by the beacons being too close to the frequency used by the Wraith shields…" Abby replied as she scanned the report with more diligence.

"And…" Gibbs prompted them.

Jon stopped scanning the report and turned to face Gibbs. "The personal locator beacons are sub-dermal and about the size of a grain of rice. Colonel Caldwell scanned the hive ships looking for SGA-1, but did they scan the debris field after the explosion?"

Abby's eyes lit up. "You're right. Once the ships were destroyed, he should have been able to detect the locator beacons."

Gibbs shook his head. "No. The report said that they didn't bother with a scan because everything in the blast radius was destroyed."

Jon nodded and cocked his head to one side. "Ships, yes. People, probably. But the locator beacon should be small enough to survive as debris. So, while the ships were destroyed, we should be able to search the debris field for Ford's locator beacon. If we find it, we know that he died on the hive ship. If we don't find it, then it is remotely possible that Lt Ford survived to fight another day."

"Okay. Assuming this is a valid theory, what do we need to check out the debris field?" Gibbs asked

Jon considered the question. "We will need Lt Ford's beacon ID and a ship capable of detecting the signal. The Daedalus can do it, but they are returning to Earth tomorrow. Let me see if one of the jumpers will work." He turned back to computer and worked for a few minutes while Abby continued to scan the report. "Yes. As long as we have the code, we can scan the debris using the jumper's scanners."

"Good." Gibbs said with a nod of approval. "That gives me an idea. Get your gear, Probie. You and I are going on a field trip. Abby, get those beacon IDs. I'm going to arrange our ride."

-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG—SG

Chapter 14 – Field Trip

Gibbs strode away from Dr Weir's office with a grin. He had successfully secured the use of one of the puddlejumper ships and the pilot was none other than one Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard.

Dr. Weir had initially had a few reservations about sending them off-world without a full team for backup. But Gibbs had succeeded in convincing her that Sheppard would make sure they didn't stray from the designated mission to view and scan the debris field left by the destruction of the two hive ships.

Gibbs didn't elaborate on what they were scanning for or why, even though Dr Weir had asked. For Gibbs, scanning the debris field was secondary to getting LtCol Sheppard out of Atlantis and alone with them on a ship. He was hoping that away from a briefing room, LtCol Sheppard would feel less threatened and become more forthcoming. At the very least, the colonel wouldn't have anywhere to run once Gibbs started to goad him into an honest reaction.

Gibbs rounded a corner and came to an abrupt stop as his path was blocked by three Marines blocking the hall. He held his ground as the three moved to surround him. "Sergeant, Corporals, what can I do for you?"

The sergeant pulled himself to his full and impressive height. "We want you to leave the colonel alone. Him and the Ell-Tee kept us alive when Earth was out of reach."

Gibbs refrained from giving the Marine a smart-assed remark. "Uh-huh." He stiffened his posture and stance to one of a pissed off drill instructor. The Marines automatically reacted to the change by coming to parade rest, unintentionally giving Gibbs their obedience. Sometimes, military brainwashing came in handy.

"Sir," one of the corporals started when Gibbs had stared all three of them down. "The colonel has proven himself to us over and over again these past years. Regardless of what you find, we would willingly follow the colonel's command on any day because we know he will do everything to keep us alive and bring us home. If the colonel says the ell-tee is alive, then the ell-tee is alive. Hell, the ell-tee has more lives than a cat and is way harder to kill."

"What Corporal Markston is saying so eloquently," the sergeant interrupted in a slightly threatening tone, "is that if anyone could have survived the destruction of the hive ships, it would by the lieutenant. And until you show us a body, we won't believe otherwise. The colonel may be Air Force, but he's been an honorary Marine since that first year… and we Marines protect our own. We won't tolerate you making him into your scapegoat."

"Ooh-Rah!" Gibbs replied with gusto, shocking the three men. Only another Marine would use that term of agreement.

They blinked several times before the sergeant ventured a tentative, "Uh…Sir?"

"It has never been my intention to make a scapegoat out of anyone during this investigation, let alone your zoomie short-bird. And you're right, WE Marines do take care of our own. That's why I'm here. I want nothing more than to reassure Lieutenant Ford's family that EVERYTHING possible was done to ensure the safety of their missing Marine. You get me, Marines?" Gibbs stated in a forceful tone.

The three Marines snapped to attention and barked out, "AYE, AYE, SIR."

"Good. Now, I'm sure you three have something more important to be doing than impeding my investigation or chasing scuttlebutt. Get to it," Gibbs snapped.

The three Marines disappeared around the corner with all due haste.

An amused chuckle drew is attention from the retreating Marines to the lanky shadow that was leaning casually against the wall.

"Watch out. Gibbs has his gunny face on." Jon stepped out of the shadow with an amused grin.

Gibbs chose to ignore him and walked past. But Jon stepped up next to him as he passed by heading for their quarters. It was two corridors and three turns later before Gibbs finally broke the silence. "So, what's with the ordinance?" Gibbs had noted that instead of Jon's usual attire, he was wearing black fatigues, a tactical vest with suspiciously full pockets, a M-9 in a drop holster, and a MP-5 clipped to his chest.

"What? This old thing?" Jon joked. "This is just a light kit for our trip…which reminds me, in addition to the basic necessities, what kind of party favors do you want for your kit?"

Gibbs spared Jon a brief glance, "Party favors?"

"Yeah, you know…C4, thermite, det-cord, oreos, powerbars…Carter used to pack those snap-it things to impress the locals. You don't have allergies do you?" Jon asked with an odd look.

Gibbs just shook his head in amazement. The more he thought he knew Jon, the more the kid would surprise him. "No."

"Cool. I left a set of fatigues in your room. Sheppard seems to prefer black. I figured you already had boots. So… party favors?" Jon asked casually.

Gibbs suddenly stopped in the hallway and turned to face Jon. "This is supposed to be a short trip in a small space ship. No more than a few hours. Why do we need all this stuff?"

Jon smirked. "The SS Minnow was supposed to just go on a three hour tour and we both know how that turned out."

Gibbs continued to watch him closely without a reply.

Jon's smirk slowly faded and then he gave a cautious nod. "Alright, look at it this way. We are going to be alone in a small space ship with a potentially hostile pilot, surrounded by orbiting debris, over a planet that has an unculled human population and its only access to other planets is through a space gate. Should anything happen to the ship, we will crash land on that planet, with its human population that may or may not be hostile to strangers, while waiting for someone on Atlantis to notice we are missing and come looking for us. At best, we are inconvenienced for a few hours…you don't really want me to go over worst case scenarios."

It was all Gibbs could do to keep the shock off his face. Yup, the kid was definitely full of surprises. "Fine." He said as he started back down the hallway. "Give me whatever your packing."

"Will do, Boss." Jon replied with his casual façade back in place. "I'll bring the gear and meet up outside the jumper in 10."

Jon peeled off down another hallway whistling the tune to Gilligan's Island, leaving Gibbs to wonder if this was such a good idea after all.

-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG—SG

Chapter 15-LtCol Sheppard's Interview

Gibbs found the trip to P4M-948 to be far shorter than he had expected. Jon had explained that travel through a wormhole was nearly instantaneous, but Gibbs had planned on it taking longer. No, he had hoped it would take longer so he could get a bearing on Colonel Sheppard's mood.

Instead, the pre-flight check done by the colonel had been completed with only minimal communication from Sheppard to the control tower. The colonel has studiously ignored both of his passengers and their inquiries. He showed no interest in the fact that both of his passengers were fully decked out in a field kit. But, Gibbs mused, that shouldn't surprise him since Sheppard himself had a full kit on as he ran through the checklists.

After his first few attempts to draw the colonel out were rebuffed, he leaned back and just observed the colonel from the co-pilot's seat. He hadn't seen any opening, not a single chink in the colonel's armor.

Once through the wormhole, Gibbs' attention was drawn outside. He allowed himself a moment of awe as he took in the beauty of the surrounding space. P4M-948, the planet listed in the reports was a brightly glowing ball in the sky. Initially, he didn't see the wreckage from the hive ships. But soon the heads-up display picked out and mapped the debris orbiting the planet, invisible in the distance.

Gibbs frowned briefly. "I thought the Stargate was in the middle of the debris field."

And for the first time, Sheppard actually glanced in his direction and responded to him. "We moved it so we could provide humanitarian support to the planet's population without worrying about flying blind into that mess."

"Good thinking," Gibbs replied carefully. No sense in antagonizing him yet. "How long before we are close enough to scan the debris?"

"30 minutes," the colonel replied briskly, shutting them out again.

"Good. Setup the equipment, Probie."

"Sure thing, Boss." Jon replied and quickly pulled out the laptop with the beacon ID database on it. Abby had thrust it into his hands right before they boarded the jumper. He pulled out an Ancient Technology interface cord and then began to methodically scan the jumper's crystals.

Gibbs went back to watching Sheppard. To his credit, he hid his interest well. But Gibbs could see that his attention was in the back of the jumper and not on the flight path before him. He resisted asking the question he so obviously wanted to ask for ten minutes.

"So… what are you scanning for exactly?" Sheppard asked, finally losing the battle with his curiosity.

"Hum?" Jon replied, playing up his part of the science geek.

"What are you looking for?" Sheppard asked again.

Jon finally turned back to Sheppard. "Oh. Lt Ford's tracking beacon. We figured that the implants are small enough that IF the lieutenant was caught in the blast, his implant may have survived. If it did, and we can find it, then we know what happened to the lieutenant. If not, while it is still possible that Lt Ford died in the explosion, it is also possible that he survived." Jon had portrayed the disinterested scientist to a tee.

Gibbs resisted tensing up himself at the callous treatment of the lieutenant's missing status. But Jon's words had the desired effect. Gibbs watched as Sheppard's hands turned white on the ship's controls. In the end, the colonel regained control and reigned in his anger. For all that the prompting had failed to draw out the colonel, it showed Gibbs that he wasn't unmoved and that gave Gibbs an idea.

"Probie, you done yet." Gibbs prompted, knowing that hooking up the laptop to the sensors could be done in less than a minute. Jon had carefully identified the crystal before the colonel had arrived. But Gibbs had planned on using the time to talk to LtCol Sheppard. Jon had agreed to play along pretending to be busy on the controls until Gibbs was ready.

"Yes, Boss." Jon replied quickly from the back of the jumper.

Gibbs stood up and made his way to the back. "Good. Something's been bothering me about the last encounter with the lieutenant. In the first two encounters, Ford displays extreme paranoia and a pathological need to avoid the other members of the expedition. But on this last encounter, he decides to make contact and recruit them into his plan to destroy the hive ship."

"Yeah, Boss. On P3M-736, while he initially seemed unwilling to kill the other Atlantis team members, he eventually took Dr McKay as a hostage in order to force his freedom. When Dr McKay's usefulness had ended, Ford was more than willing to kill him proving his new sociopathic tendencies. He even joked about trying to kill McKay when the team was later captured and taken to his home base."

Gibbs grinned at Jon. The kid was really good at playing his part. His language was very inflammatory and was having the desired effect on the colonel. "Yes. He must have had a personal grudge against Dr. McKay. He used the same tactics in that last encounter. Dr McKay is lucky that the second encounter didn't end with his death. He was saved by the uncaring attitude of his guards which gave him the time to make his escape."

Gibbs spared a glance at the colonel. The man was practically vibrating with tension. "No, what bothers me most about the last encounter is that the lieutenant's ability to reason was no longer compromised. He was still pathologically paranoid, but he was able to reason past that to entrap his former teammates. His plan to destroy the hive ship, while fatally flawed, was still well reasoned."

"I don't know, Boss. He still showed a sociopathic complex. He may have reasoned that his hatred of the Wraith, brought on by his need to use them to gain more enzyme, was more important than his hatred of the Atlantis expedition for their perceived abandonment. But ultimately, they were just a means to an end. A tool, if you will. To be used for his convenience. Hence, sociopath." Jon finished with a flourish.

Gibbs was impressed. It was complete bullshit, but is sure as hell sounded good. And as he watched LtCol Sheppard release the jumper's controls, it had the desired effect.

The colonel jumped up from the pilot's chair and advanced on the pair in the back with his anger barely under control. The slightest motion from Jon drew Gibbs' eyes to the Wraith stunner, just out of sight. Gibbs resisted the urge to smile. Yes, one of these days, he would have to stop underestimating the kid.

"You have no idea what in the hell you're talking about." Sheppard said as he rounded on them, his hands clenched into fists at his side. "You weren't there. You don't know him. Lieutenant Ford was a good man and damn fine Marine." Sheppard's voice broke briefly with emotion.

"Then enlighten me," Gibbs replied coolly. "Because your REPORT shows me a sociopathic drug user bent on using old friends as weapons against his enemies."

Sheppard seemed to lose some of his anger to apathy. Jon gave Gibbs a brief nod, and left the two men alone in the back.

Sheppard sat heavily across from Gibbs. "It didn't happen that way. He wasn't like that." Sheppard repeated. "He wanted to come home. He missed his grandparents and his friends, but…" Sheppard wiped a hand over his face and finally looked Gibbs in the eye. Sheppard took a deep breath before continuing, "But he felt that the military wouldn't understand why he stayed away when he got a handle on the enzyme problem. He wanted to prove that it could be used safely because he wasn't sure if stopping would kill him. He wanted to prove that the enzyme would be a benefit to Atlantis, so he could keep fighting."

Sheppard sighed softly, "We talked about it, you know. He wanted to go home so badly, but for some damn reason he felt that he had to prove himself… I tried to tell him that he didn't need to prove himself to anyone… that no one blamed him. But he JUST wouldn't listen."

Gibbs nodded in agreement. "What happened in that cell…after you were separated from the others?"

Sheppard tensed up. A look of raw pain flashed across his face before he was able to hide behind his look of casual indifference. He gave a snort of amusement. "It all went to hell… At first, he was fine, but he blamed me for everything going wrong. He… he said that I was sabotaging his mission. That I never wanted him to succeed. After a while he started to go into withdrawal. He was shaking and sweating so bad, but I remember being happy because he was also coming back. He was returning to the Ford that I knew. The one who knew that being a part of a team meant that no one got left behind… and then the Wraith took him." Sheppard looked away and again Gibbs saw raw pain cross his face. "The next time I saw him, he had just rescued me from the Wraith Queen… and he wouldn't go with me. He made me choose between him and my team… He… he promised that he would catch up, but I knew he wouldn't. I knew it and I left anyway."

Sheppard lapsed into silence. Gibbs let the quiet of the jumper surround them as he thought about what the colonel had said. He had suspected that the colonel was dealing with survivor's guilt, but the colonel's resolute belief that the lieutenant was still alive seemed to contradict that guilt. If the colonel thought the lieutenant was dead then the guilt was reasonable, even expected. But if he thought the lieutenant was alive, why the guilt? Did he really think the lieutenant was alive? Or was he hiding his guilt behind his belief that the lieutenant was still alive?

Gibbs moved slightly to catch Sheppard's attention. "If you knew he wouldn't follow you to escape, why do you insist that Ford is still alive?"

Sheppard's response was instant and emphatic, "Because it's Ford. You'd have to know him to understand. Ford would have survived."

"How?" Gibbs pressed.

"How should I know? I barely escaped in the modified dart as it was… But Ford… Ford…" A look of shock and surprise flashed across the colonel's face. "A dart," he said suddenly. "He stole another dart." Suddenly, the colonel was up and moving back towards the jumper's controls. His movements suddenly held an excited purpose. "How could we have missed it?"

Gibbs followed Sheppard to the front of the jumper. "I thought that the reason for kidnapping you was because Ford and his men couldn't pilot a dart."

Sheppard maneuvered the controls and the jumper sped toward the wreckage of the two hive ships once again. "He knew enough to steal the dart and to get it back to his planet. He easily could have taken a dart and escaped the hive ship when all the other darts were headed to the culling."

"But none of the other darts survived the explosion… Colonel Caldwell made sure to scan the wreckage looking for you." Gibbs said as he watched Sheppard pilot the ship.

"We can still scan the wreckage for his locator beacon," Jon piped up.

"No. We can't," Sheppard replied quietly.

"Why not?" Gibbs asked.

Sheppard winced. "Because we didn't get the sub-dermal beacons until after the siege on Atlantis. Ford escaped before the siege ended. He doesn't have a locator beacon."

"Damn it." Jon cussed under his breath. "Wait…" Jon grinned as he turned to Sheppard. "Ford wasn't a pilot and knew that his skill was limited, right?"

"Right?" Sheppard replied.

"So, if I knew that I could barely fly, I'd go to the safest place I could think of before trying to land… If the Stargate was surrounded by debris that would be… there." Jon pointed to P4M-948, the planet, shining so large and bright in the darkness of space.

Without a second thought, Sheppard turned the ship towards the planet with a grin on his face.

SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG—SG

Chapter 16 - Finding Ford

The small ship arrived in orbit over the planet without incident. LtCol Sheppard only had to skirt the hive ship debris. Once there, he placed the ship in high orbit and began scanning the surface. Sheppard had set the scanner to search for all human and Wraith life signs. The heads up display (HUD) showed dense populations of humans over large parts of the planet. Luckily, the planet was free of Wraith. All they had to do now was find one human among hundreds of thousands.

"So, where to first?" Gibbs asked. He was hoping that Sheppard know were the lieutenant would go to ground once he realized that he was trapped on the planet. As the lieutenant's commanding officer and teammate for over a year, he would know the man better than anyone else.

Sheppard scanned the screen a few more minutes before he let out a huff of air and sagged in his seat. "I'm not sure. If Ford wasn't influenced by the enzyme, I'd say that he would go there… to the capital city, hoping to make contact with anyone from Atlantis the next time we visited. But he was high on the enzyme… and with his judgment clouded... he could be anywhere."

Jon's snort of amusement drew the eyes of both men. "Amateurs… First of all, it doesn't matter where Lt Ford would have landed or how drugged up he was at the time, because eventually, he would have sobered up and in the last YEAR moved on. You only need to have a starting point for your search. Secondly, Wraith tech has a specific bio signature. Scan for the dart and you have your starting point without all the convoluted mind games. Thirdly, if he didn't stay close to the dart, then you will need more than our three-man team to find him; no matter how badly you want to find him this trip."

Gibbs swallowed down an angry retort at the kid's condescending tone. It wouldn't do any good and, damn it, if the kid wasn't right.

Next, Jon gave booth men a consoling look, "Finally, this whole wild goose chase depends on the lieutenant taking a dart to the planet. Please keep that in mind."

Gibbs nodded and turned back to Sheppard. "So, we scan for the Wraith dart."

Sheppard glanced at Gibbs and nodded in agreement. Sheppard worked the controls and several red dots appeared across the HUD. One by one the specifications for each dot appeared in the indecipherable Ancient script before it faded off the screen. Gibbs focused on Sheppard, as the man translated each one, muttering under his breath. The tension grew as each dot was checked and discarded as wreckage.

Suddenly, Sheppard stopped and re-read the screen, a grin slowly forming. "I think I found it."

"Expand this bit," Jon ordered quietly.

Sheppard complied, but looked at Jon oddly. "You read Ancient?"  
Jon didn't respond as he carefully read through the text. "It is definitely a dart. But it's not in good shape. Based on these readings, I doubt it can fly. It crashed hard, tearing up a long patch of ground. The scan doesn't show any human life signs in the area." Jon pointed to the screen. "Nearest, life signs are about 100 miles away at this farming settlement."

"You're sure?" Gibbs asked, his doubt flavoring his words. He couldn't make heads or tails of the text, but that one red dot looked just like the others. He didn't like not being the one with the answers. It was making him cranky.

Jon sent him a brief glare. "Yeah, Boss. I am."

Gibbs winced. He had let himself forget, for just a moment, who… what Jon really was. For just a moment, Gibbs had doubted the kid, his expert on all things alien. He shook himself to refocus on the task at hand. He would make it up to the kid later. "Good. Colonel, if you would please, let's go take a look."

After a moment's hesitation, Sheppard nodded and moved the small ship towards their destination on the planet below.

-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG—SG

The ship touched down right next to the wreck of the dart. The Wraith ship was clearly destroyed. Jon felt a moment of sympathy as they surveyed the damage. No one mentioned that the pilot's survival would have been a miracle. It was unnecessary and quite possibly cruel. Instead, he exchanged a look with Gibbs and made his way to the back hatch.

When he finally joined them in the back, LtCol Sheppard's face had lost his hope and cheer and was back to looking grim. Jon wasn't quite so happy to be back in the action anymore. As much as he missed being involved in the Stargate Program, this was not what he missed. Surviving in the face of great danger, yes. Retrieving the fallen, not so much.

Sheppard gave them both quick once over; making sure their gear was in place. "Alright, I want you both to promise me that you run back to the ship at the first sign of anything going wrong. I don't care if it is a bug bite." Jon watched the colonel shudder at the thought before continuing. "ANYTHING happens; you come back here right away. Got it?"

"Aye, Aye, Colonel," Gibbs replied.

Jon just nodded, not feeling the need to reply. He knew Sheppard wouldn't believe that he had experience in the field, let alone the type of experience he possessed. Hell, technically he had more experience than Sheppard… Yeah, that would go over well.

"I mean it. If you two get so much as a paper cut out here, my ass is toast." Sheppard speared them both with one last glare before opening the door. "Stay on my six, and for god's sake, don't touch anything."

Sheppard stepped out of the ship casually scanning the area as he picked his way across the uneven ground around the dart. Jon and Gibbs flanked him and they quickly crossed to the wreckage. Jon approved as Sheppard cleared the area with his eyes one more time, before stepping up to look in the cockpit of the dart.

Jon and Gibbs exchanged a worried look as Sheppard looked into the cockpit. But, Sheppard quickly turned away with a triumphant grin.

"It's empty."

Jon felt both disappointment and relief as he returned Sheppard's smile. Ford had survived the crash, providing that Ford had been the pilot. But that still left the all important question: Where was he now?

Jon's smiled at Gibbs as the agent took control. "Colonel, if you don't mind, let's look around before we head back to Atlantis. This scene is over a year old, but I'd like to see what we can before we go back for more help."

"Sure. Standard search pattern. You, then me, then O'Brien. 20 foot intervals. Keep in sight." Sheppard said absently as his head nodded in agreement. Jon could tell that the colonel didn't want to go back yet. He had to burn out his need to look first. Jon could see his need to find his lost second. Any sign could be the key to finding Ford. The lieutenant had a one year head start and every little bit would help them find him.

Jon lined up with the others as they carefully started to search the area around the dart, circling outwards slowly as they cleared the ground. The searching was slow and methodical. But as they neared a small glade of trees about 200 yards from the dart the search finally bore fruit.

Jon noticed the flapping cloth first. Slowly a small lean-to took shape. It had been built from the branches of the surrounding trees and blended perfectly with the surrounding vegetation. Except for that bit of cloth flapping in the breeze, he wouldn't have seen it at all. As he approached, he could tell that the lean-to hadn't been used or maintained for some time. Part of the structure had collapsed, blocking the entrance from casual view. That bit of flapping cloth had been used to block the entrance from the elements.

Jon felt hope surge. Ford had survived. He had built a textbook short term shelter from the local vegetation. That meant that he might have had a clear enough head to leave them clues, or better yet a note. He grinned with the thought of actually finding the man healthy and whole. A true happy ending.

"I found something," he called out, not taking his eyes off of the structure.

Sheppard joined him followed by Gibbs. They all stared stupidly at the structure for several seconds before Sheppard finally spoke. "I guess I should check it out, huh?" He took one step forward only to be stopped by Gibbs' hand.

"I can do it," Gibbs offered. Jon noted that Gibbs wasn't smiling. He slowly felt his hope of a happy ending dim.

Sheppard shrugged Gibbs' hand off. "No. I'll do it." Sheppard took a deep breath and started forward again.

Jon watched as Sheppard carefully cleared the branches from the collapsed entrance and then slowly entered the lean-to blocking their view of its contents. He was convinced that the suspense was killing him. But, only seconds had passed before he heard Sheppard's broken. "I found him." With those words, Jon felt hope die. They had succeeded. They had found the missing man… yet it still felt like a failure.

Sheppard backed out of the shelter awkwardly; the man's ability to coordinate his limbs severely impeded by his grief for the lost lieutenant. Jon's quick look in the lean-to revealed the broken, desiccated body of a man before the sight was blocked by Gibbs as he went in to get a closer look. Jon led the colonel a short distance away and sat him down. Sheppard didn't resist. He didn't even see Jon as a canteen was placed in his hands and he drank mechanically.

"He was here the whole time," Sheppard stated absently, as he stared at the empty space in front of him.

Gibbs joined him beside the colonel, the lieutenant's dog tags in his hand. Sheppard finally lost himself to the grief he had denied for far too long. His whole body shuddering under the release of the pent up emotions. Jon let Gibbs take the lead with the grief stricken man. He quietly stood watch, guarding the pair from outside harm while Sheppard dealt with the kind of pain that can only come from within.

Sometime later, after Sheppard's grief had turned from the heaving sobs to something quieter, though no less painful, Jon went into the lean-to and examined the remains. The lieutenant may have survived the crash, but he hadn't left unscathed. One of his legs wore a makeshift splint. Large, dark brown stains marred his leather pants and tunic. His head had been wrapped loosely with more stained cloth. And a Wraith stunner was gripped tightly in his hands, ready for action, even in death.

Jon was momentarily overwhelmed with his own sense of loss. He had never met the lieutenant, but through the course of the investigation he felt that he had come to know the man and the Marine. Ford had fought courageously against a fearsome enemy and prevailed. Yet, in spite of the events that stained his last six months of life, the lieutenant had died in honor. Defending his teammates and protecting their escape.

"It would have been an honor to serve with you, Lieutenant," Jon whispered to the corpse. "Now, let's get you home."

Jon retrieved a body bag from the supplies in the jumper. Gibbs joined him as he respectfully transferred the remains into the bag and sealed it. They carried the body back to the jumper with Sheppard silently walking beside them as an honor guard. None of them spoke during the flight back to the Stargate and to Atlantis. Instead, they honored their fallen comrade, their brother, their friend with their silence.

-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG—SG

Chapter 17 - Bringing Ford Home

LtCol Sheppard flew the small ship through the Stargate and set it down in the Gate Room, rather than allow the automated controls take them to the hanger. Gibbs watched as the colonel turned his shadowed eyes to the control room where Dr Weir was watching in concern.

"Colonel Sheppard?" Dr Weir asked through the PA. "Is everything alright?"

Sheppard blinked back tears and just shook his head. Gibbs placed a consoling hand on the colonel's shoulder before standing up and turning to the back of the ship with Jon at his side. The colonel had taken the lieutenant's loss hard. Gibbs understood that level of grief and anger. He was still dealing with the loss of Agent Caitlin Todd. He knew from experience that there was little they could do for the colonel. Time would provide some distance; to make the pain less fresh. Life would go on whether you were ready for it or not.

Gibbs took a deep breath and braced himself for his next unpleasant duty, before he hit the controls that opened the back hatch. He wasn't surprised to see the security team standing ready, surrounding the small ship. He waited patiently and remained non-threatening until they were joined by Dr Weir. She took in the contents of the small ship and told the security detail to stand down. However, her face reflected her concern as she took in their grim expressions.

Gibbs hated that his news would change her expression. But, as the Leader of the Atlantis expedition, she deserved to be the first informed of their sad news. After a brief moment of silence, Gibbs started his prepared speech.

"Dr Weir, I regret to inform you that at approximately 1600 hours today, we found and recovered the remains of Lt Aiden Ford," Gibbs said formally. He paused to give Dr Weir time to absorb the news. No matter how prepared she thought she was, this news would kill that little bit of hope that she had hidden in the dark corner of her heart.

"Oh," Weir exclaimed softly. Her face fell into shock and grief as she took in the news. But she rallied quickly and replied, "Thank you, Agent Gibbs, for finding him."

Gibbs nodded, "I would like Dr Beckett to perform the autopsy, if you will allow it."

Dr Weir briefly cleared her throat before she replied, "Of course." She gave the control room technician a meaningful look before returning her attention back to Gibbs and the two men standing silently at either end of the litter bearing the body bag. She nodded to Gibbs and stepped away from the ship, giving the men room to exit.

Gibbs glanced back at the two men and nodded. Jon and LtCol Sheppard took their cue from Gibbs and slowly lifted the body and started the short walk to the infirmary; their faces solemn.  
The security detail in the Gate Room set the tone for the procession as the team chief called the detail to attention and then they presented arms as the body of the lieutenant was carried out of the ship and taken out of sight down the hallway.

The news spread through the expedition quickly. The hallways from the Gate Room to the Infirmary were lined with expedition members. Both old and new members stood in silent attention, some with salutes, as the body of the lieutenant was carried past them. Halfway to their destination, the rest of SGA-1 joined their commander and formed an honor guard.

The procession was met at the entrance to the infirmary with a quiet, "Welcome home, laddie," as Dr Beckett greeted the lost lieutenant. The doctor directed them to place the body in one of the isolation rooms before ushering them out so he could work in peace. All of the expedition members dispersed except for SGA-1. They would remain in vigil for their lost teammate.

-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG—SG

Special Agent Gibbs waited for the last member of the command staff, Dr. Beckett to arrive, before starting his final briefing. He had spoken to the doctor before finalizing his report to the President. The only duty left to perform before they returned to Earth.

Dr Beckett entered the conference room with a quiet relaxed pace. He nodded briefly to Dr Weir and Gibbs before taking his seat. Gibbs had visited him at the tail end of the autopsy, as was his habit, to get the doctors findings. The doctor had been sad, but had relayed his findings in a calm and efficient manner. The finding had been the last piece of the puzzle that had been Lt Ford's disappearance. With that little bit, the mystery had been solved and the lieutenant could finally rest in peace.

Gibbs had asked for the briefing as soon as the doctor was finished. He wanted to give the Atlantis Command Staff all the findings at once for closure. Almost all of them had served that first terrible year with the lieutenant. That bond, forged in the face of adversity, was strong. They had become something more than family that year. Hopefully, this briefing would ease their minds and allow them to finally grieve together.

As the doctor settled into place, Gibbs gave his own team one last look, before starting. "Good evening. As you are aware, I've completed my investigation into the disappearance and death of Lt Aiden Ford, USMC. As a part of this investigation, I've read all the reports concerning the lieutenant's behavior both before and after his exposure to the addictive Wraith enzyme. It is my professional opinion that the lieutenant should not be held accountable for his actions while under the influence of the enzyme. His behavior falls under the umbrella term 'under alien influence' and will not be included in his official file."

Gibbs gave each of the senior staff a long look before continuing. "It is also my professional opinion that everyone who had contact with the lieutenant while he was under the influence of the enzyme did everything possible to ensure a positive outcome." Gibbs let his eyes settle on LtCol Sheppard as he continued. "In my opinion, a positive outcome was not possible, once all the variables had been considered. I have noted that the members of this expedition are not responsible for the death of the lieutenant. I have further noted that no other acceptable options were available. Dr Beckett has also informed me that the lieutenant would not have recovered from his injuries, even if he had been found right after his crash on the planet." Sheppard's eyes showed his doubt, but he nodded acceptance of the information from Gibbs.

"Dr. Beckett?" Gibbs prompted.

"Ah, yes. Thank you, Agent Gibbs." Beckett turned to the rest of his Atlantis team. "I performed the autopsy, per the agent's request. The lad had severe trauma to his entire body. His leg was crushed. He had broken several ribs and ruptured his spleen and liver. He had a skull fracture and was likely hemorrhaging before he died. I'm amazed that he was able to crawl away from the crash and build a shelter. In fact, I believe that the remaining enzyme in his system is likely the reason he survived the crash at all. Within an hour, the internal bleeding would have resulted in his death. Even baring that, I doubt he would have survived withdrawal from the enzyme in his weakened condition… even with medical attention. It is a blessing that the lad was able to build a shelter that so effectively preserved his body for us to find."

The senior staff looked sick and pale at the news. None wanted to contemplate the lieutenant's last minutes as he died alone and in extreme pain. They still wanted to blame themselves, even if there was nothing they could have done differently. Gibbs understood that emotion as well. He carried it in his own heart, for his own losses, as irrational as it was.

"But we could have found him sooner," Sheppard's voice broke the silence, his guilt slicing through the quiet.

Gibbs gave the colonel a considering look and knew that nothing he could say would help. But he couldn't just leave the colonel without trying to help him see the truth; that 'what might have been' was a game you could only lose. "Possibly. But when have you had the time to search? What information did you have to go on? It was this investigation and my insistence on viewing the site that led to new information. Without that external pressure, would you have reached the same conclusions?"

Sheppard sighed and slumped down further in his seat. "No," he replied in a defeated tone. Then his eyes flicked to Jon, "In fact, I doubt we would have found him at all if it wasn't for your Agent O'Brien." Sheppard leaned in with a predatory grin. "Where exactly did you learn to read Ancient?"

The shocked surprise on the faces of the rest of the Atlantis team gave Gibbs a wry grin himself. He took satisfaction in their shock. Gibbs knew all too well what it felt like to have the kids surprise him by pulling a rabbit out of his hat. And that was when Gibbs new better than to underestimate him.

For his part, Jon just grinned back at Sheppard, and quipped, "Here and there." A glance back at the kid found him completely relaxed in his seat, hands comfortable clasped on his stomach. Gibbs knew that relaxed attitude. The kid used it to lull the gullible into a false sense of security.  
"He reads Ancient?" McKay declared unnecessarily to the room.

"Yup. Better than me, in fact," Sheppard replied cheekily, as the attention of the group shifted to the young agent. Gibbs' smiled widened as the colonel's diversion effectively shifted the mood of the group from somber to curious.

"What?" McKay seemed unable to process the information.

Jon grinned wider, "Oratio nusquam. Effor parvus minor." (It's nothing. I only speak a little).

"He speaks it as well?"McKay's mouth gaped as his brain seemed to freeze.

Dr Weir chuckled at his reaction. "Well, Agent Gibbs, you are certainly full of surprises. I assume that you plan to return with Lt Ford."

Gibbs nodded, "We do."

"Good. I'll make the arrangements." She turned to Sheppard, "Colonel, if you and your team would stay back for a moment."

Colonel Sheppard nodded and the rest of the command staff exited the conference room, leaving SGA-1 with Dr Weir. Gibbs took his team back to their office to pack up.

-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG—SG

Dr Weir was in the control room waiting. Below her, the NCIS team, SGA-1, and a select group of Marines were assembled, waiting to return with Lt Ford's body to Earth. She ordered the gate dialed, ordered the code send, and read the confirmation herself.

The rest of the expedition's military members snapped to attention as the coffin was lifted by the pall bearers. They saluted smartly as the coffin moved through the event horizon, followed by the rest of the group returning to Earth.

She gave Special Agent Gibbs a small, sad smile as he paused before the event horizon and saluted her. She gave him a firm nod of acknowledgement and he stepped away and disappeared into the wormhole.

As the wormhole snapped shut, she couldn't help but muse that it sounded so final, like the end of book snapping shut. She released a final sigh and returned to her duties. The dead were mourned, but the galaxy wouldn't pause while you grieved. She had to continue forward and hope that Aiden would understand… She smiled one last time at the empty Stargate. Of all people, Aiden would understand the call of service before self. Feeling lighter, she nodded to the technician on duty and returned to her office.

-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG—SG

Chapter 18- Case Closed

Gibbs and Abby sat in the elaborate waiting area outside the Oval Office waiting for President Hayes to call them in for their formal out-briefing. Gibbs expected Jon to arrive any minute. Hopefully, before they were asked into the office.

An elegant woman with an air of authority approached them from one of the Administrative offices. She gave them a warm, welcoming smile. "The President is ready to see you now."

"Thank you," Gibbs replied politely. "Um… I'm still expecting one more member of my team."

She gave him a mischievous grin, "Jon, the young scamp, called ahead to send his regrets."

"Uh huh," Gibbs replied with a frown.

"Really? He bagged on the President?" Abby asked with a raised eyebrow and suppressed giggle.

"Truly," the woman replied and gestured for them to precede her to the door.

Gibbs led Abby into the President's Office with a professional air. But, he allowed himself one small smirk as he identified the other people in the room. President Hayes, of course, was expected; as was General O'Neill. But the Defense Secretaries and the Joint Chiefs were not. He wasn't sure he liked this level of scrutiny.

"Welcome back, Special Agent Gibbs." The President greeted him with a genuine smile. He turned to Abby. "And Ms. Scuito, it is my pleasure to make your acquaintance. I've heard so many good things about you," he said as Abby blushed with the praise. "Please take a seat."

Once they were seated, the President continued, "I hope you don't mind that I invited a few more people to the out-briefing. General O'Neill you've already met," he said smoothly and then worked his way around the room to each of the Generals and Admirals and then the each of the Defense Secretaries ending with the SecNav, who seemed to relish Gibbs' discomfort.

"Mr. President, Gentlemen, Abby," Gibbs started with a small smile. "As you are well aware, I was asked to review the facts of a MIA case on behalf of the family by the President. My team and I fully reviewed the written reports and conducted various interviews for clarification. My team was given the full cooperation of the entire expedition and access to any and all materials we requested. It was a refreshing change of pace," he joked blandly. The various men chuckled in response.

Gibbs let the humor fade from his face, "During one of my interviews, new information came to light and we were able to successfully locate the remains of the missing lieutenant. His status was changed from MIA to Killed In Action (KIA) before we left Colorado. His family has the funeral planned four days from now." Gibbs nodded to General O'Neill, "At the family's request and pending approval, Lt Ford will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery."

Gibbs handed a thick report to the President and took a breath before continuing, "My complete findings are in the report. But, in summary, this is a clear case of 'alien influence' as previously defined in the SGC operations guidance. It is my opinion that all members of the of the Atlantis expedition, including its leadership, are not directly or indirectly culpable in the lieutenant's death."

"I knew it," General O'Neill stated to the room, gathering several disapproving stares. "What? I told you they were the best of the best." He smirked back at the others as if daring them to protest.

"Yes, you did, Jack," President Hayes chuckled. "Not that we had any doubts." He turned back to Gibbs. "Now, Special Agent Gibbs, Ms. Scuito, what about future investigations? Is this something we should continue?"

Gibbs was surprised at the question, "Well, for one, I don't think it should be for special cases only. I spent far too much time trying to play catch up. If I had already been read into the program, the investigation would have gone much faster." He grinned at Jack across the room, "Although, Jon O'Neill was a big help in getting Abby and I up to speed." Gibbs was gratified by the confused looks on the faces of the Joint Chiefs and the smug smile of the general.

Abby nodded, "And there were so many technologies available on Atlantis that I had to learn to use in order to verify the lab results in the reports. If Dr Beckett had been less than forthcoming; I don't know how I could have verified them." She turned to the SecNav with her eyes light up with excitement. "Not to mention how much time they would save if we could use them in my lab here," she hinted.

Gibbs cut in before Abby to really get started, "Our full recommendations are in the report." He paused briefly and addressed the President directly, "Sir, I'd like to brief the family at the funeral."

"Of course, get with General O'Neill and flesh out a cover story for the family." The President smiled, "Excellent job, all of you," the President said as he dismissed them. Gibbs and Abby filed out, followed shortly by General O'Neill.

-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG—SG

Gibbs had arrived at the funeral late and tried to hang in the background. The lonely notes from the bugler echoed across the cemetery as the flag was carefully folded and carried to the family, sitting on one side.

Gibbs could just make out the solemn words of the Marine presenting the flag to Adele Ford, Aiden's grandmother. "On behalf of the President of the United States, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, and a grateful nation, please accept this flag as a symbol of our appreciation for your loved one's service to Country and Corps."

Adele gently accepted the flag with a teary thank you. Several hands comforted her as the ceremony progressed. Finally, the coffin was slowly lowered into the ground as the Marine Chaplain recited the 23rd Psalm to the quiet snuffling from the crowd surrounding the family. "…Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil…"

Soon the family was receiving the condolences of the crowd. Gibbs wasn't surprised to see LtCol Sheppard or his team as one of the first to line up. He also recognized the Marines that had defended LtCol Sheppard so strongly on Atlantis. As the crowd began to thin, Gibbs made his way towards the lieutenant's family.

Adele Ford sat frail and worn with her grief making her appear older than her years. A stout man of roughly the same age, sat beside her holding her hand and offering support to Adele. Gibbs assumed that this was Frank Ford, the grandfather. The rest of the family surrounded the couple with a protective air.

"Special Agent Gibbs," Adele greeted him as she wiped tears from her eyes and offered him her hand.

"Ma'am," Gibbs returned gently. "I'm sorry for your loss."

She harrumphed and turned a sage eye on him, "So am I. I… I knew he was gone..," she said tearing up again. "But I'm being a silly old woman, again." She took a deep breath, "I've been meaning to thank you. You did more than you promised…You brought my boy home." Her voice cracked with grief, "Thank you."

Gibbs knelt down, leaned in and gently kissed her hand, "You're welcome, Ma'am."

The man, Frank, nodded solemnly, "Can you tell us anything about his death?"

Adele turned her eyes to the man next to her and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Are you sure, Frank?"

Frank smiled down at Adele gently, "I'm sure." He turned back to Gibbs, his eyes pleading, "I need to know."

Gibbs understood that need. The need to know how and why a loved one died. And he was more than happy to give them what they needed. If in a somewhat edited version.

"Lt Ford was in a fire fight and got separated from his team. He was eventually captured by the enemy. His teammates continued looking for him, but couldn't find him. Approximately, six months after he was captured, his team was captured by the same group. Together, with the lieutenant's knowledge, they were able to escape their cells. While covering the escape of his teammates, the lieutenant became separated again and missed his rendezvous with the escape aircraft. Shortly after the team escaped, the installation was completely destroyed. Once again, his teammates searched and couldn't find him."

Gibbs paused briefly, "They held out hope until the end. They were still looking for him. Even after all this time." He glanced at the faces around him and continued, "It was only while reviewing the case files, with his teammates that we were able to locate his body. He had stolen a second aircraft and made his own escape from the installation. But he was no pilot. The second aircraft crashed some distance from the installation. We found his remains a short distance from the crash. He died from the injuries he sustained in the crash."

Adele wept openly as she nodded in acceptance of the tale. "Thank you," she said in a choked whisper.

"Your grandson was very highly regarded by his men and his commander. His base is still mourning his loss," Gibbs finished softly.

Frank shook Gibbs' hand stoically. "Thank you, Agent Gibbs. I… That helps."

Adele slowly rose to her feet with Frank at her side, smiling sadly through her tears. "You've done us a great favor, young man. I know my boy can rest in peace now." She gently patted his arm as she allowed Frank to escort her to the waiting limousine surrounded by her family.

Gibbs turned to the grave one final time and recalled the face of the young officer he had seen in the video. The video the lieutenant had made just for his family. The one where, even after a year of hard combat and survival in a separate galaxy, the young man still had a shiny newness about him as he tried to explain to his grandparents that he was fine and not to worry about him. The one he made with full knowledge of the imminent invasion by the Wraith. That Marine, that man, still had hope. Somehow, he knew he would eventually make it home.

Gibbs slowly allowed the image of that man to fill him as he addressed the grave, "You've done good, Marine." Feeling lighter, Gibbs left the cemetery. It was time he got back to work.

THE END


End file.
